This is the fourth in a series of 12 tips to help you improve your online safety.
Schedule firmware updates
Hopefully you’re in the practice of regularly applying patches to your computer(s) and mobile devices. It’s also best practice to check for updates to your Wi-Fi router firmware. 2017 saw exploits such as KRACK and Reaper, which have fixes available in firmware.
Stop broadcasting your SSID
Unless you need to continually add new devices to your network (in which case you might consider the guest network approach listed in Tip 3), then find the option to disable SSID broadcast – if a hacker doesn’t know you’re there, it’s much harder to start trying to compromise your network.
Locate your router centrally in your house
Concerned about your neighbours or passersby trying to “borrow” your Wi-Fi connectivity? Try different locations in your house, and opt for one in the centre, so that the signal reaches to the edge of your property, but no further.
Turn the power down
This is related to the tip above – if you can’t move your router, then consider turning down how strong the signal is, to ensure that the broadcast doesn’t go further than the edge of your property.
Stop using Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a convenient technology, but is more prone to being hacked/attacked – if you can connect with a physical cable, do so, and disable Wi-Fi.