If you have children in your house, and you’d like them to be comfortable in the digital age, then there are a number of settings and precautions that you might wish to be aware of. While it’s not possible (or desirable) to completely shield your children from the technology they’ll be surrounded by later in life, we can take a number of steps to ensure that they’re introduced to that technology in a way that’s safe and age-appropriate. This means, among other things, ensuring that the network itself is watertight.
This is especially important in a modern household, which tends to be equipped with a range of internet-connected devices, many of which might not be considered computers.
Harden the Home Network
The more robust your wi-fi network’s authentication protocol, the better. Newer routers use WPA3, which was released in 2018. You might audit the services you’re using, and disable the ones that aren’t secure. It’s also worth updating your router’s firmware, and making sure that only the people who really need administrator privileges are granted them.
It’s worth understanding the fundamentals. If you’re unclear on fundamental questions, like what is a VPN vs proxy, then you might struggle to keep your home secure.
Tame Smart Devices and Assistants
Smart devices and voice assistants can make life much more convenient and liberating. But they can also represent a potential point of vulnerability. Don’t give cameras and microphones permission to capture data, unless it’s essential that they do so. Make sure that you regularly clear the video and audio that you do record. If there’s a device that you’re unsure of, then you might connect it to an entirely separate network, so that it doesn’t have access to everything else.
Limit Local Identifiers and Ambient Signals
Even if you aren’t directly revealing sensitive data, malicious parties might be able to determine who you are with the help of the unique MAC addresses that define all of the devices in your home. You might conceal endpoints with the help of the settings on your router. Hidden SSIDs are not recommended, since they offer no great security benefits, and come with performance costs. You might also question whether Bluetooth devices really need to be discoverable – as this represents another potential security risk.
Buy Secure, Update-Supported ProductsSome devices offer better security than others, so choose products that receive regular updates and avoid universal default passwords, which attackers can easily exploit. The FTC recommends using unique, device-specific passwords and strong authentication on all connected devices. U.S. guidelines under the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 also emphasise secure default configurations and ongoing developer support. Selecting devices that follow these practices greatly reduces your exposure to cyber risks.
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