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(Family Features) If you’re like most people, you likely use your home internet to pay bills, shop online, send emails, watch movies and more. With everything from smartphones and laptops to security systems and thermostats connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, protecting your network is vital to keeping your personal information secure.

Much the same as you lock your front door to help protect your valuables inside, ensuring your wireless network is secure can help safeguard personal information like account passwords and credit card numbers and protect your devices from cyber threats. Consider these tips to create a secure online environment.

Understand Wi-Fi Security Protocols
By understanding different Wi-Fi security protocols, you can make informed decisions to protect your network and prevent unauthorized access. There are several protocols available, including WEP (wired equivalent privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) and WPA2 (Wi-Fi protected access 2). WPA2 is currently the most secure option and should be used whenever possible.

Set a Strong Password
By setting a strong Wi-Fi password, you can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your network. Your password should be long, complex and unique. Avoid using common words or easily guessable combinations. Consider using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

Enable Network Encryption
Network encryption adds an extra layer of security to your Wi-Fi network. Encryption scrambles the data transmitted between your devices and the router, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. To enable network encryption, access your router’s settings and look for the encryption options. Choose the strongest encryption protocol available – either WPA2-PSK (pre-shared key) or WPA3 – and enter a strong password to ensure your network is protected from eavesdropping and unauthorized access.

Enhance Network Security with MAC Address Filtering
MAC Address Filtering is an additional security measure that can help prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to your Wi-Fi network. Every network device has a unique MAC (media access control) address, which can be used to control access to your network. To set up MAC Address Filtering and create a whitelist of allowed devices that can connect to your network, access your router’s settings and enter the MAC addresses of the devices you want to allow in the filtering section.

Update Router Software
Router manufacturers regularly release firmware updates to fix security vulnerabilities and improve performance. To update your router’s software and reduce the risk of unauthorized network access, check the manufacturer’s website or your router’s administration interface for available updates. Follow the instructions to download and install the latest firmware.

Find more cybersecurity tips to protect yourself online at eLivingtoday.com.

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