Bytesized Cyber Series - How to Secure your Home Wi-Fi

The cyber threat landscape is rapidly evolving. It is becoming increasingly sophisticated, impacting individuals and businesses alike. To help you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, we’re exploring a different aspect of cybersecurity each month in 2025 as part of our bitesize series.

So far, we have tackled many prominent issues surrounding cybersecurity, including:

• How to dispose of old devices without leaking data
• How to secure your personal devices
• How to protect your photos and videos from unauthorised access
• How to spot a phishing email
• The rise of a new cyberthreat - What is quishing?
• How to create a strong password

This month’s focus is on how to secure your home Wi-Fi.

The risks of not having secure Wi-Fi

When people think of home security, they tend to think about locking windows and doors, but not all criminals break in via that route. Cybercriminals have adapted to keep up with advancing technology.

If you look around your home, you will likely find a variety of smart devices which are connected to your internet. Standard items could include your TV, laptop, tablet, phone, gaming consoles but can also include Alexa or Google Assistant, security camera, smart thermostat, robotic hoover, baby monitor, fridge, or video doorbell. Each of these devices comes with huge benefits, however, they each act as an access point for cybercriminals looking to infiltrate your private network.

Once they gain access, they can spy on your activity, obtain your login details, or even upload malware to your network.

How to secure your home Wi-Fi

Securing your home Wi-Fi network isn’t as difficult as it sounds. We’ve pulled together a few simple steps to help you stay safe online.  

 

Step 1 - Change the default router username and password

The first step of securing your home Wi-Fi is to change your username and password on your router. According to a study conducted by Broadband Genie, over 86% of respondents have never changed the router administrator password.[1]

The instructions for this will vary depending on the type of router you own, however typically this is easy and a quick win.

 

Step 2 - Give freeloaders the boot

According to Broadband Genie, only 25% of respondents check to see who is using their home network. There are a few reasons why you should discourage others from using your Wi-Fi connection without your permission.

1. Security – It goes without saying that unauthorised users can present a cybersecurity threat. They can hack your network and attempt to steal your personal data.
2. Privacy – As well as getting access to your personal data, if they know how, unauthorised users can also gain access to your search history.
   
   
3. Performance – Having lots of users on your network will make your internet speed slower.
   
   
4. Cost – Unauthorised users can eat into your data allowance. Depending on your data plan contract, this may result in additional costs if you go over.
   
   
5. Criminal – Using your Wi-Fi connection without your permission is theft. What’s to stop these individuals from using your internet to engage in other illegal activities?

To prevent this from happening, we recommend you regularly check your router’s admin panel to see a list of all connected devices and their IP addresses. If in doubt, remove any you don’t recognise. If you accidentally remove one of your devices, it will be simple to reconnect it again later.

You can also programme your router to only allow particular devices to connect. This will help limit unauthorised use on an ongoing basis.

 

Step 3 - Set up a network for guests

If you do want to give access to your visitors, look at setting up a guest Wi-Fi. It’s typically free to do and allows you to give internet access to others without them getting access to your main network. It isolates guests on a separate network segment, meaning they cannot get access to any of your personal information, nor can they spread any malware that may have infected their personal devices.

 

Step 4 – Disable Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcasting

When you search for an available Wi-Fi network, your device will show a list of available networks in your proximity. This is often referred to as ‘beaconing’. By turning off SSID broadcasting, you will make your network disappear from this list and become invisible to anyone who doesn’t have the SSID (network name) already. By doing this, you can reduce the visibility of your network and make it harder for cybercriminals to attack you.

 

Step 5 - Update your SSID name

On a similar train of thought, some SSIDs can be traced back to the original router manufacturer, meaning that if there are any known vulnerabilities on that make/model, a cybercriminal will see it as a quick and easy win. By changing your SSID to something else, this can make it harder to track. Avoid using any personal identifiers that could help people trace it back to you or your property. Do not include your name or address.

 

Step 6 - Disable remote administration

Another functionality that may be worth disabling is remote administration. This allows you (and others) to change your Wi-Fi settings remotely. While this can prove useful on occasion, it can also present a security risk.

 

Step 7 - Enable WPA3 encryption

The latest release in Wi-Fi security is the WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3), a security certification created by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It works by encrypting your network data so that cybercriminals cannot decipher it.

Depending on the age of your devices, they may not be compatible with the latest release of WPA, but it’s worth investigating if they do to help make your home more secure. And if you’ve been looking for the perfect excuse to treat yourself to an upgraded device, this might be it. Safety comes first.

 

Step 8 - Keep your router’s firmware up to date

Like all technology, installing software and firmware updates is crucial for the safety and performance of your device. The same applies to your router. By failing to keep up to date with these updates, you will be exposing yourself to cyberattacks, as these updates often include critical security patches to fix vulnerabilities.

Many routers will update themselves automatically, so you don’t need to manually do so yourself. Consult your manual from your manufacturer to check if you fall into this category.

 

Step 9 - Move your router to the centre of your home

When choosing the best place to put your router, most people simply go by the location of the Ethernet port. However, if you want to improve the security of your home Wi-Fi, it may be wise to put it in the centre of the home to reduce the chance of your network being intercepted by others.

 

Step 10 - Turn off your Wi-Fi

If you are going to be out of your house for more than a day or two, consider turning off your Wi-Fi, especially if you don’t have any smart devices that need to have a continuous connection.  It’s one of the simplest ways to protect your Wi-Fi from opportunistic hackers looking to gain unauthorised access to your network.  

Worried about cybercrime?

When it comes to cybercrime, many homeowners don’t have sufficient cyber insurance. But the reality is, the risk of cybercrime to your business far outweighs many other risks that you would cover for without a second thought. It’s time to get real about cybersecurity. Visit our Cyber Liability Insurance page to find out more.

About the author

Marc Rocker, Head of Cyber has been with Towergate for over 15 years advising commercial clients of all sizes on their business insurance needs.

As Head of Cyber Insurance, Marc has responsibility for ensuring that the advice and products that Towergate provides meet clients’ needs. Marc is a member of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) cyber technical committee.

Consistent with our policy when giving comments and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems, we recommend that professional advice be sought. 

Sources

[1] Gap in awareness leaving routers at risk from cyberattacks - Broadband Genie