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CNET
18-05-2025
- CNET
Protect Your Wi-Fi: 10 Security Tips Before Memorial Day Weekend
School is almost out, summer is nearly here, and many folks are making travel plans for Memorial Day. Most people focus on door locks, alarm systems or cameras when protecting their home. But these days, just as much of your life happens online as it does inside your house. In fact, many of us will use the Memorial Day weekend to do some online shopping before heading to the beach or firing up the grill. If your home Wi-Fi network isn't properly secured, you could leave yourself open to hackers, data theft and other digital threats without realizing it. If your home network is breached, it can be accessed, which means controlling connected devices, installing malicious software or spying on your sensitive data, such as credit card numbers and live camera feeds. So what do you do? Make it more secure. A secure home network will help reduce the risk of getting hacked and having someone access your sensitive information. It'll also keep away unwanted or unauthorized people and devices that would slow down your connection or freeload on your internet service. Below, you'll find 10 simple, quick steps to secure your home network. Some are more effective than others at keeping hackers and freeloaders at bay, but all are useful in their own way. It's worth noting that nothing can guarantee absolute security from hacking attempts. But these tips make it much harder for anyone to compromise your network and data. (For more Wi-Fi tips, check out how to tell if your internet provider is throttling your Wi-Fi and our tips on how to speed up your Wi-Fi connection.) Locating local internet providers Tips to secure your Wi-Fi network at home Here are the basics for protecting your home Wi-Fi network. Keep reading for more information on each below. Place your router in a central location. Create a strong Wi-Fi password and change it often. Change the default router login credentials. Turn on the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption. Create a guest network. Use a VPN. Keep your router and devices up to date. Disable remote router access. Verify connected devices. Upgrade to a WPA3 router. 1. Place your router in a central location Strong network security starts with an optimized setup. If possible, place your router near the center of your home. Routers send wireless signals in all directions, so strategically placing your router in a central location will help keep your connection to the confines of your home. As a bonus, it will likely also make for the best connection quality. For example, if you have internet in an apartment where neighbors are immediately to the left and right of you, placing your router next to a shared wall could send a strong and tempting signal their way. A good router can cast signals next door or across the street, even if you aren't in an apartment. Placing your router in a central location reduces how far those signals travel outside your home. 2. Create a strong Wi-Fi password and change it often This should go without saying, but I will still cover it to emphasize its importance: Creating a unique password for your Wi-Fi network is essential to maintaining a secure connection. Avoid easily guessed passwords or phrases, such as someone's name, birthday, phone number or other common information. While simple Wi-Fi passwords are easier to remember, they're also easier for others to guess. You can easily access your router settings to update your Wi-Fi password. Oh, and be sure to change your password every six months or so, or whenever you suspect your network security may have been compromised. The more frequently you change your password, the less compromised it will be. Chris Monroe/CNET 3. Change the default router login credentials Along the same lines of password-protecting your Wi-Fi network, you'll also want to keep anyone from being able to directly access your router settings. To do so, change your router's admin name and password. You can log in to your router settings by typing its IP address into the URL bar, but most routers and providers have an app that lets you access the same settings and information. If you're unsure how to determine your IP address, read our guide. Your router login credentials are separate from your Wi-Fi network name and password. If you aren't sure what the default is, you should be able to find it on the bottom of the router. Or, if it's been changed from the default somewhere along the way, here's how to access your router settings to update the username and password. 4. Turn on the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption Most routers have a firewall to prevent outside hacking and Wi-Fi encryption to keep anyone from eavesdropping on the data sent back and forth between your router and connected devices. Both are typically active by default, but you should check to ensure they're enabled in your router settings. Now that you know how to log in to your router settings, ensure the firewall and Wi-Fi encryption are enabled. If they're off for whatever reason, turn them on. Your network security will thank you. 5. Create a guest Wi-Fi network Before sharing access to your main home network, consider creating a separate guest network for visitors. I'm not suggesting your guests will attempt anything nefarious with your main Wi-Fi connection. Still, their devices or anything they download while connected to your network could be infected with malware or viruses that target your network without them knowing it. A guest network is also ideal for your IoT devices, such as Wi-Fi cameras, smart thermostats and smart speakers -- devices that may not hold a lot of sensitive information and are perhaps more easily hackable than a smarter device such as a computer or phone. 6. Use a VPN Getty Images/Viva Tung/CNET There are a few reasons to use a good VPN, and network security is one of them. A virtual private network hides your IP address and Wi-Fi activity, including browsing data. VPNs are most useful when connected to a public network, but they can still add a level of security and privacy to your home network. Some VPNs are better than others, but like anything, you often get what you pay for. Free VPN services are available, but you can get a much more secure service if you pay a few extra bucks a month. Another perk of using a VPN is that it can be great for streaming. 7. Keep your router and devices up to date Software updates can be annoying, but they often include security updates. When companies become aware of potential or exposed security vulnerabilities, they release updates and patches to minimize or eliminate the risk. Stay updated on downloading those regularly. Keeping your router and connected devices current with the latest updates will help ensure you have the best protection against known malware and hacking attempts. If possible, set your router to automatically update in the admin settings, and periodically check to make sure it is up to date. 8. Disable remote router access Remote router access allows anyone not directly connected to your Wi-Fi network to access the router settings. Unless you need to access your router while away from home (to check or change the configuration of a child's connected device, for example), there should be no reason to enable remote access. You can disable remote access under the router's admin settings. Unlike other security measures, disabled remote router access may not be the default. 9. Verify connected devices Frequently inspect the devices connected to your network and verify that you know what they are. If anything on there looks suspicious, disconnect it and change your Wi-Fi password. After changing your password, you'll have to reconnect all your previously connected devices, but any users or devices that are not authorized to use your network will get the boot. Some devices, especially obscure IoT ones, may have odd default names of random numbers and letters you don't immediately recognize. If you encounter something like that when auditing your connected devices, disconnect them. Later on, when you can't start your robot vacuum cleaner from your phone, you'll know that's what it was. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:03 / Duration 8:02 Loaded : 2.46% 0:03 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 7:59 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected 10. Upgrade to a WPA3 router WPA3 is the latest security protocol for routers. All new routers should be equipped with WPA3, so if you buy a new router, you should have nothing to worry about. Many people rent their routers directly from the provider, which may not include the most up-to-date equipment. If your router was made before 2018, you might have a WPA2 device, which lacks the same security protocols as newer WPA3 devices. A quick search of your device's model should tell you when it came out and any specific features, such as whether it has WPA2 or WPA3. If you've got a router with WPA2, call your provider and negotiate for a better, more recent router. What's the bottom line? Network security is not guaranteed Again, even with the most recent and effective methods of protecting your home network, security will never be 100% certain. As long as there is the internet, hackers and cybercriminals will find ways to exploit it. With the tips above, you can better keep your network secure from anyone trying to use your connection or access your data. For more tips, check out how to find free Wi-Fi anywhere in the world and the ideal location for your router.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What customers need to know about the M&S cyber attack
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has confirmed a cyberattack resulted in the theft of customers' personal data. M&S is assuring customers that payment information, card details, and passwords were not compromised. The retailer has not disclosed the number of affected customers. M&S has prompted customers to reset their passwords upon their next login. The cyberattack has disrupted M&S's online services and in-store operations since April 25, and police are investigating.
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Forbes
Unsophisticated Hackers A Critical Threat, US Government Warns
CISA and FBI warn of threat from unsophisticated hackers. There is undoubtedly no shortage of sophisticated and complex cyberattacks currently. Everything from no-interaction threats targeting Android smartphone users, 2FA bypass attacks that the National Cyber Security Centre in the U.K. is so concerned about that it has issued a global alert, and even the use of high-tech blobs and data-theft tunnels in password-stealing campaigns. Why, then, have two major U.S. security agencies released a strongly worded warning urging organizations to react to a threat from what they refer to as unsophisticated hackers? Actually, let's start with a slightly different question, namely, what is a hacker? The quick and dirty answer is me, I'm a hacker. I have been since the late 1980s, in fact, and proudly remain one to this very day. That doesn't make me a threat or a criminal, because hacking isn't a crime. Criminal hacking is a crime, as if that really needs saying out loud. A hacker is just someone using their skills to find ways to do something that wasn't the intention of the programmer, hardware engineer, whatever. I have found any number of ways into software and systems over the years that really shouldn't have existed. Those doorways have then been closed as a result. I guess you could say I am a sophisticated hacker, as I am totally self-taught, rather than relying upon downloadable scripts that someone else has created. The description as it applies in the CISA and FBI alert, however, is a little more generous than that, I suspect. What is being talked about here are not unsophisticated hackers, but hackers using 'basic and elementary intrusion techniques' in their attacks. That, to me doesn't equate to an unsophisticated hacker, it makes for a smart one. Why reinvent the wheel, especially when there's a pile of them sitting just behind that open garage door? The joint CISA and FBI advisory, titled Unsophisticated Cyber Actor(s) Targeting Operational Technology and published May 6, is all of a single, solitary, paragraph in length. 'CISA is increasingly aware of unsophisticated cyber actor(s) targeting ICS/SCADA systems within U.S. critical Infrastructure sectors (Oil and Natural Gas), specifically in Energy and Transportation Systems,' it begins. Going on to explain that while these attacks often simply exploit the presence of poor cyber hygiene and exposed assets, this can lead to 'significant consequences such as defacement, configuration changes, operational disruptions and, in severe cases, physical damage.' As a result, CISA has said that it 'strongly urges' anyone who meets the criteria of being a critical infrastructure asset owners or operator to review the detailed guidance it has released to reduce the instruction risk. The recommended mitigations include: Now those recommendations apply whether the hackers involved are sophisticated or not, so what are you waiting for?
