Before you move into a new home, there are a lot of tasks you need to take care of. Not only do you need to arrange the furniture, unpack your boxes, and arrange for all your utilities, you need to make sure that your new home is as secure as possible. With these six strategies, you can boost your new home’s cybersecurity and make sure that it’s ready for anything.
1. Check Your Equipment Location
Physical security is a key part of your overall cybersecurity. Ideally, you don’t want your equipment to be easily accessible to someone who might want to break in. Furthermore, if you have obvious equipment that could be tempting to a hacker, you may want to make sure that it’s not easily visible from the outside of the home. Choose a location for your home office that is not readily visible and that is easy to protect to avoid physical breaches.
2. Choose a Strong Network Password
When you set up your network, you want it to be easy for you, your family members, and your guests to access. However, you don’t want it to be easy for hackers to guess, since that could grant them access to your home network. Choose a password that is difficult to guess, but relatively easy to remember. Use multiple types of characters, including capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols to help enhance your password security.
3. Protect Your IoT Devices
Internet of things devices–from your connected coffee maker to your smart TV–can be a bigger security threat than you think. Rather than connecting those devices, with their potential security holes, to the same network as your other devices, consider setting up a network just for IoT devices. Setting it up before you move in increases the odds that you’ll keep up with that network segmentation.
4. Buy Your Own Router
Select your own router, rather than going with the standard one issued by your internet service provider. Look for one with enhanced security features to increase your overall security and make it harder to access your network.
5. Invest in Cybersecurity Software
The level of security you actually need can depend on a lot of factors, including what’s attached to your network and what you’re trying to protect. However, with anti-malware software, a VPN, and adequate firewalls, you can go a long way toward enhancing your overall security and keeping your network safer.
6. Use a Separate Guest Network
If you regularly have guests who want to connect to your home network, having a separate guest network can help protect your devices. This is particularly important if you’re trying to protect sensitive data in your home office and aren’t sure of the integrity of all of your guests (or the guests of your family members).
With many people still working from home, having a secure home network is more important than ever. Working with a security provider can make it easier to ensure that your new home is as secure as possible.