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Tech Tip: From School Needs to Tech Gifts Matthew Cosgrove GreenStone VP of Information Security
It’s that time of year again, school is well underway and we’re about to start looking forward to the holidays. Whether your child is back in the classroom or taking advantage of remote learning opportunities, chances are their technology and internet use is ongoing. This is a great time of year to review your home network settings, making sure you and your family are secure while online. According to a recent survey, the average household has over 10 devices connected to their home network. In my home, I’d guess we have no less than 60 devices connected to the internet - Smart TVs, game consoles, computers, tablets, phones, and IoT-connected devices like smart light bulbs and plugs. A recent Gartner study confirmed, that number will only continue to grow for most households. They predict that by 2021 there will be 25 billion IoTconnected devices worldwide. 45
Fall 2021 — Partners
What is a home router?
If you ask anyone in my household, they will tell you that the router is the most important device in the house. If the internet goes down, one of my children will be quick to let me know that they just lost their current game of Fortnite or ROBLOX. The router is the hub of your home network. All our home devices connect through the router to access the internet – it’s the middleman between the internet modem and your devices, and
provides the Wi-Fi to connect wirelessly. It is also the device that helps protect all the devices from the bad guys on the internet. Without a router, any device connected directly to your cable or DSL modem might be exposed directly to the internet. Fear not, all is not lost – here are some tips that can make sure your home network is secure: Secure your Wi-Fi, NOW!
Users today purchase a home router to make sure that they have wireless internet access throughout their home. Because these routers are broadcasting wireless information, they make an easy target for someone to attack if the bad guys are within range of your wireless network. If the bad guys can access your home network, they might see your internet activity, including usernames and passwords. Change the Service Set Identifier (SSID)
from the default name to something unique. Most manufacturers use the same SSID for all models of their home routers. By keeping the SSID the default, you are
