Today’s home network includes a wide range of wireless devices! Taking basic steps to secure your home network will help protect all your devices and your information.
Despite its numerous benefits, Wi-Fi connectivity does have its fair share of disadvantages. Arguably, the biggest disadvantage is Wi-Fi security, especially if your connection isn’t properly secured. There are lots of compelling reasons why everyone on a Wi-Fi network should take the necessary steps to ensure that his/her network is properly secured. You may choose to keep your network unsecured primarily because you are not aware of the potential dangers of allowing unauthorized users to access your Wi-Fi connection.
A cable network connection is slightly different because to successfully connect to a wired network, you must physically link a cable from the router to your computer. However, with a wireless network, you can easily connect and use it provided it isn’t secured and it is within a reasonable range.
So, why should you secure your Wi-Fi?
- Failing to secure your W-Fi means the safety of your data is in danger:
Did you know that when an unauthorized person is connected to your router, he or she is able to access your computer devices? Because they may have gained access to the LAN network managed by your Wi-Fi device, these users can easily and effortlessly have access to your computers and do just about anything they would want. In summary, someone who can connect to your wireless network can potentially do the following things:
- Unauthorized users can view and steal your data including bank account details and other vital information.
- Install malware and other dangerous computer programs.
- Track all the sites that you always visit, copy, and login passwords, and read all your emails.
- Slow down your laptop or computer as well as the Internet speed of your Wi-Fi connection.
- Unsecured Wi-Fi connection could easily result in a surge in bandwidth usage:
A significant number of Internet Service Providers usually offer a set amount of bandwidth involving the transfer of data to and from the Internet. What this means is that if you were to exceed this set data limit, you are likely to be charged a certain amount per gigabyte. And by failing to secure your network, anyone would connect to it and would likely start to use it irresponsibly. It only implies that your set bandwidth would get depleted quickly and you will need to pay extra costs to meet this increased usage.
- An unsecured network could potentially land you in hot soup!
Your Internet provider usually assigns a unique IP address to you which you use when connecting to the Internet. The data that you request over the Internet is directly sent to this unique address given to you. When using your Wi-Fi device or router, the IP address is assigned to it and the router equally assigns internal addresses to any other device that has a connection with it. What this means is that if an unauthorized person connects to your network and commits a crime such as the spreading of malware or hacking, the law enforcement will only track the IP address of your router. As a result, you will face charges for an offense you did not take part in. Before you set up a Wi-Fi connection in your home, make sure that it is highly secured with a strong password that includes non-predictable symbols.
Wi-Fi installation can be great for both the convenience and functioning of your home. Surveillance cameras, computers, smartphones, and other devices depend on an Internet connection to function optimally. However, to ensure you don’t land into any future problems, just make sure that your Wi-Fi is strongly secured!
Are you still confused with making the Wi-Fi secure? Just give us a call on 1300 016 017.
