4 Tips for DIY Home Network Security

Chances are, you have been using the same password for years. It could be your friends name, or someones birthday. A hacker armed with any one of a number of "Brute Force Attack" programs can easily enter your network or devices if your password is too simple.

We recommend:

• Use Passphrases instead of passwords. Ex: "Lettuce-Tomato-$alad", instead of "Salad1234". Passphraess are easier to remember, yet harder for bots to guess since they contain many more characters.
• Let your browser or password manager generate a complex passphrase for you.
• Use Multi-factor authentication (MFA) or a Password Authenticator app
• Use a different passphrase for each service you use. Never use the same password for multiple services.

When you connect to your Wifi router from your various devices you can choose the type of security you want. WPA2-PSK (AES) is recommended. It is the most secure as of this writing (as of September 2022).

WPA2-PSK (AES) combines both WPA2, the latest Wi-Fi encryption standard, and the latest AES encryption protocol. If your home router does not offer this, you may want to consider contacting your ISP, or upgrading your router's firmware.

Do not use WEP. WEP has been cracked and is now out of date. Home Security wifi cameras that connect using WEP can be easily disabled by thieves using a laptop or Raspberry Pi computer.

Your home router is assigned a name by your internet provider. Generic Internet Providers often assign names like "Provider123" to their routers in various areas. Some users opt to customize their router's name to something like "John and Jane Smith's House". This unique identifier is known as the "SSID". Your router broadcasts the SSID to all devices within range, not just your own. When you access your Wi-Fi settings on any device, you'll see your router as well as those of your nearby neighbors.

Hiding your SSID can help protect your home or office network from intrusion by making it less visible to potential attackers scanning for available networks.

Keep your software up to date: Your computers, phones, routers, switches, security cameras etc all contain software and firmware that is updated from time to time by their respective manufacturers. Keeping the software up to date ensures security and reliability.

Use a wired connection: WiFi is convienient, but it is slow and insecure when compared to a wired connection. If the location you work from in your home is permanent, consider running a Cat5 or higher Ethernet cable from your home router to your computer. Connecting by Ethernet instead of Wifi is faster and more secure than WiFi. If you are building a new home or renovating your current home, now is the ideal time to run Ethernet cable to where you need it.