Welcome to ‘The Safe Word’, the best words of advice in Security & Safety for today's world - brought to you by Stella Digital, your go-to partner for cybersecurity! In this 1st episode, Susan has recently been hired by a company, and they have decided that she will work remotely. We join Susan, as she begins setting up to work from home…**SECURING WIFI Router Admin Credentials – Change from the ‘out of the box’ default from the factory, they all are the same & that info is available (to criminals)Router / Network password – use complex password, restrict access / don’t share it, change periodicallyNetwork Name (SSID)– Change from default (see above)– Turn off broadcast and Hide network name (turn on for new devices to find it & then back off)Encryption – Turn on / strengthen– WEP, WPA, WPA2 - Select WPA2 (Strongest) & choose AES (may be on a second picklist)– If your router doesn’t have WPA2, you should consider getting a new oneTurn off Remote Management– limit management (admin) access to physically connected devicesRouter firmware / software – Keep up to date– Similar to security updates & patches for your PCRouter’s Firewall– Turn on– May be built into your router, may need a separate firewallTurn router off – when not in use, overnight, when away from home (weekend, vacation, etc.)Move router to center of house– Decreases the distance your network extends outside your homeProtect / Secure the devices that attach to your network (PCs, phones, etc.)– Keep up to date; choose apps carefully, complex passwords, security software, A/V– Some devices come with a WiFi option (IOT); If a device doesn’t need Wi-Fi, disable it– Set up a ‘Guest’ network (if possible) – Use this Guest network for friends, relatives, rather than giving them full access to your whole network Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) – Disable– WPS is a service that makes it easier to connect – Convenience vs securityAssign static IP addresses – The router is probably configured to use DHCP, which automatically assigns an IP address to devices connecting to it. Using Static IPs instead limits connectivity– Change your router’s default IP address and – avoid the factory default settingTurn off DHCP / Enable MAC address filtering– Allows only specific devices to connect to your network– MAC = Media Access Control, address unique to each device– These can be spoofed, so it’s only one step in securing your networkTurn off Plug ‘n Play – When turned on, this allows other things (IOT) to connect to the internet