Gaurav Rathore
His write-ups blend creativity, personal experience, and tailored technical advice, meeting reader needs effectively.
Gaurav Rathore
His write-ups blend creativity, personal experience, and tailored technical advice, meeting reader needs effectively.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Update firmware and use a strong password to secure your router.
- To protect sensitive devices and limit malware spread, segment your network.
- To block or monitor suspicious devices and network use, real real-time alert.
- Set up digital rules for family members.
- Apply network-level parental controls, so all home-connected devices remain safe.
Did you know that over 2.6 million people get online scammed every year? This has become quite common because digitalization is present everywhere, and people still don’t understand how to keep themselves safe from such threats.
It’s not just you; even your family and those who are close to you are exposed to these risks. It can greatly affect them and make things worse. So, is there anything that can be done to prevent this and ensure maximum safety?
In this article, I’ll mention the hidden side of online safety and how network design impacts family security. So, let’s get started.
A home network gives you control over access points and protects you and your family from various risks. Dave from Lynx Planning & Engineering, a telecom infrastructure planning company, says, “A secure network should act like a controlled gateway—only allowing trusted devices and users through while constantly monitoring for signs of abnormal behavior.”
However, if the device is configured incorrectly, let it’s a smartphone or a smart TV, hackers, and scammers will gain access. One of the access points is an unsecured or misconfigured router. For instance, your router may have weak login credentials or encryption.
As such, as a hacker uses an automated tool to scan numerous IP addresses, they may find yours and infiltrate your network because of the weak access point. Within minutes or even seconds, they get hold of your data and corrupt it with malware or even hijack it to gain complete control over the devices that are connected to the same network.
Another entry point may be an infected or compromised device. For instance, a member of your family may download software from a fake website or app store and bring malware with it. Malware gets in touch with an external server, and both begin coordinating to harvest your data.
It may also create a backdoor for other malicious activities in your network. Smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart speakers and security cameras, can also cause attacks.
As with a weak router, a hacker may exploit a device with weak security protocols. The design of most of these devices focuses on making them user-friendly, not resilient. That’s why they might not have the advanced password or regular firmware updates.
Your network is also vulnerable if you use a device on a guest or public Wi-Fi and then connect it when you get home. Malware may have been brought from an unsecured network.
Even if you host someone with a compromised device, they can introduce a threat to your network. Beyond giving access to your devices and data, such a weak network impacts your security in the following ways:
An unorganized home networks make every connected device have the same level of access and visibility. Therefore, when hackers compromise one device with malware, it can spread across the network. As such, hackers can reach other sensitive devices, including your security camera.
Unlike a strong network, a compromised one lacks real-time monitoring. Such a lack of visibility can prevent parents from realizing there are threats in the network. These blind spots increase the malicious activity rates, and they even remain undetected.
For instance, if a child downloads software with malware, the attack spreads to other devices in the network because there are no measures to flag the intrusion.
The network design shapes how any safety tool you introduce works. For instance, you may install parental control apps, but your child may use a different, uncontrolled device to access the internet. Below, you can see common vulnerabilities in a home network.
A home network not only connects your family to the internet. It does more. Your digital security is controlled by it, access to data and online activity are limited because every connected device is dependent on the network. Since threats evolve, you must be proactive when improving the network design. Do the following:
A configured router is the first layer of defense for your network. Therefore, it should not operate with outdated firmware. Firmware should be updated regularly, as it seals any vulnerabilities a hacker can use against you.
The devices also need regular updates to take advantage of. Use the patches provided by the manufacturer to fix bugs or defects. In addition, change the default login credentials and strong password.
Divide your network into zones and subnetworks to create different access levels and enhance the security of more sensitive devices and data. Wait, did I mention the networks can be segmented based on the type of device, cool right?
There may be a subnetwork for your smart home components to ensure any threat introduced by an unwanted external or internal source does not leave this subnetwork and infect other devices, such as your work laptop.
It’s also easy to enforce the least privilege principle, as it allows access to resources a device needs and no other unnecessary stuff. For instance, a work laptop can function without connecting to the home security device. Further, your smart fridge does not need to connect to your family photo storage.
Guest WiFi access should also be separate. It keeps your family data and connected devices safe if the guest transports spyware or malware on their devices. They can access the internet as a guest, so they won’t be allowed to explore other home network features.
Know what is happening in your home network in real time. Fortunately, many modern routers have a built-in dashboard or app that displays every live connection. The displayed information contains device name, accessed content, and usage history.
Therefore, you can know when an unauthorized device accesses your network or when a rarely used device becomes active. Automatic alert has made monitoring more efficient, and you can act instantly before the threat spreads to other devices.
For instance, if you get a notification, you can block the unauthorized device or run a scan to determine the scale of the attack. These threats can also be discussed with the family members and guests, so everyone stays aware and prevents doing things that can further weaken the network.
Since a single mistake can compromise family data and security, it is wise to set rules for everyone. It’s important to make sure that children understand the risk of clicking on suspicious links and messages because they can contain malware and spyware networks.
In addition, explain that such access can affect their safety. If you can create such an environment where children can be open with you and report any strange activity. For instance, they can tell you before they open a pop-up message. It also prevents them from sharing data that may compromise the network, such as login credentials.
Your safety tools should operate at that level for consistent impact across all devices. Therefore, you need central control. On such a network, traffic usually only passes by one firewall or router with the same rules. It becomes a checkpoint to inspect and manage traffic to and from the network.
Such network-level control allows you to block an entire content category, even on new devices that connect to your network, such as when a guest visits. Use controls to set bedtime or study time usage restrictions.
You may introduce device-level security measures, such as an antivirus, but unless you fix a vulnerable home network, you will experience constant and disastrous attacks. Have network-level security measures such as strong access passwords or parental controls.
Further, segment the home network so that devices can access the necessary data. Ensure your network security evolves as your needs grow. For instance, you may buy new devices, and hackers and scammers may also find new ways of infiltrating home networks. Therefore, update your devices and audit security regularly. Fortunately, you can set automatic updates for devices.
