Home and Wireless Networks

Linking your computer and other devices to a home network, especially a wireless one, is great for convenience, but potentially not so great for security. The same technology that lets you use your laptop in any room of the house could give your neighbor—or a hacker—access to your network and the private information it contains.

What you should know about home and wireless networks

A home network sends and receives signals through a central device called an access point. These signals connect computers and other devices to the Internet and to each other. Wireless access points can send these signals several hundred feet through the air. Without proper safeguards, anyone within that distance may have access to your network.

What you should do to help protect your home or wireless network

Take these simple steps to protect your home wireless network from intruders.

• Make sure to install anti-virus, and firewall software on your computers and access point. Use automatic updates to keep your security software current.

  

• Secure your network and access point by following a few quick and easy steps. There are a wide variety of access points so consult your hardware's instruction manual to learn how to enable the security features on your specific device.
• Consider placing the wireless access point in a central location in your house. Avoid placing it by exterior walls and windows to help decrease the signal strength outside of the intended coverage area.
• Avoid storing sensitive materials on your computer. This includes credit card numbers, social security numbers, information about family members or other personal information.