As per the statistics of 2020, a whopping 4.66 billion people across the globe are active Internet users. This makes it evident that the World Wide Web has become an integral part of the personal as well as the professional lives of a staggering 59 percent of the world population that uses the Internet actively. The Internet is primarily used to gain information or provide entertainment and for commercial purposes. This is achieved through numerous websites which are hosted on the web servers of various web hosting service providers. Terms such as the “Top Cloud Hosting Company” or the “Best Cloud Hosting Company” refer to the top-notch web hosting service providers that have won the trust of their clients by providing excellent quality of web hosting service consistently.
The Internet is browsed on numerous devices, such as computers, smartphones etc. These interconnected devices, such as routers, computers, smartphones, and Wi-Fi-enabled cameras, to name a few, are interconnected with each other as well as with the available Internet connection at any home, which creates a network called the home network. Home network security ensures the security aspect of such devices that form this home network. Cyberattacks can take place in any network and do not depend on its size. Cybercriminals can target any vulnerable network, be it a home network or one used for business purpose.
Any network that is connected to the Internet, exposes itself automatically to the existing threats in the cyberspace. Often the users of home networks have a false belief that the devices they are using to connect to the Internet are secure on their own, without any aid. Another incorrect notion is that a home network is too insignificant or small to be a target of cybercriminals and hence face no risks with regard to cyberattacks.
In the face of continuous threats posed by various malware that attack vulnerable home networks, it becomes extremely important to secure a home network by implementing adequate security measures. The most common ways to keep a home network secure are by updating software regularly, running updated versions of antivirus software, using passwords that are strong and unique, changing default log-in passwords and usernames, removing unnecessary services and software, adjusting factory-default configurations on software and hardware, increasing wireless security, regularly backing up data, installing network firewall and installing firewalls on networked devices.
Regular software updates is the most effective way to ensure any home network’s and system’s security. When regular updates are in place, these not only add new features and functionality but also provide the benefits of critical patches and security fixes. Another important measure is running updated Antivirus software, which ensures automatic detection, removal and/or quarantine of different types of malware. An effective antivirus software needs to be run on all the Internet connected devices that form a user’s home network. It is important to enable automatic virus definition updates. This ensures protection to the maximum extent against the most recent cyber threats.
The next important step is to get rid of all unused and unnecessary services and software because these cause security vulnerabilities in a device. This increases the attack surface of the home network which is not at all desirable. Hence, it becomes a necessity to disable such unused and unnecessary services and software to reduce the attack surface of the home network. A user must actively search for and remove those services or software that are not used regularly.
Passwords act as a crucial element with regard to the security of any home network. Hence, it becomes crucial to keep strong and unique passwords to secure the devices that are connected to the Internet. Moreover, the same password should not be used for different accounts. Another important security measure involves changing default log-in passwords as well as such usernames. When network devices have pre-configured default administrator passwords, it increases security risks. Since such credentials are not secure, these need to be changed. Else, cybercriminals can gain unauthorized access very easily to confidential and sensitive information. Additionally, the factory-default configurations on software and hardware are not at all secure and the vulnerability caused by these can be easily exploited, if these are not disabled.
Another essential security measure that needs to be taken care of, is installing network firewall to keep a home network secure. A firewall aids in blocking malware that targets a home network as well as serves the purpose of acting as a barrier against internal threats. Additionally, it alerts the user whenever there is any nefarious activity. An active firewall that has its settings properly configured strengthens the security of any home network. Moreover, firewall needs to be installed on networked devices. This enables the inspection of, as well as filtering of the Internet connected devices’ inbound and outbound network traffic. Proper steps should also be taken to increase wireless security.
Last but not the least, regular backups need to be created and stored of the important data that is on any device connected to the Internet. This ensures the safety of the important information (data) of the user and aids in restoring such data if data corruption or theft causes data loss. The backup data needs to be encrypted, in order to keep it confidential. Regular backups of data can be maintained on any external media, a cloud-based service or a third-party backup application.
In a nutshell, in the undesirable situation of a lack of adequate security measures, any device that is connected to the Internet is vulnerable at all times to security threats. It is clearly evident that there is a perpetual and legitimate need for maintaining a high level of security for home networks. There are numerous ways to ensure a home network’s security and it can be accomplished easily if the ins and outs of the security measures concerning a home network are understood and applied accordingly.
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