Then, think of all of the personal information and data that you have on many of these devices, such as account information, banking information, and other personal data. If your router isn’t properly protected, a hacker can easily gain access to all of this information and use it for malicious purposes. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your Wi-Fi router is secure. This can be accomplished through the following safe practices and regularly checking the security of your network. Click here to use DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check to check your DNS and network security:

Recent reports have indicated that about 80% of home Wi-Fi routers are insecure. There are a few reasons that these routers are more susceptible to hacking. These include poor passwords, outdated models, lax consumer attitudes towards tech security, and manufacturers neglecting security concerns.

First of all, Wi-Fi routers aren’t secure by default. They are often made cheaply to be accessible, but that often means that manufacturers neglect the security of their routers. This goes for default passwords, too — few people actually change their password from the default password that comes with the router. This is a dangerous practice, because it makes it much easier for a hacker to guess your password.

Additionally, if people do change the password on their router, they often choose something easy that they can remember — something that can be easily guessed. Many use a password that’s related to their home address, phone number, or name.

Further, routers have changed a lot over the last several years. Many older models are not secure enough to be used today. They may not receive necessary software updates or security patches, which are crucial for any device connected to the Internet. If you have an outdated Wi-Fi router, then it’s time to get an updated model that is more secure. Not sure about the security or age of your model? Look it up online and see how it compares to other models in terms of security.

If you’re worried about using the Wi-Fi now, fear not: as long as you take the proper precautions, it can be safe to use free public Wi-Fi. Use DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check feature to evaluate the security of your Wi-Fi network, and check your connectivity and download speed. This feature will notify you of any security threats, such as a change in DNS settings or network vulnerabilities. You can also use this feature to check the security and speed of your home network, too. Click here to check your Wi-Fi now:

Despite your ability to run virus scans and check the security of your Wi-Fi network, you may want to limit your online activity on public networks. It’s a good idea to not type in any sensitive information while using public Wi-Fi. This includes typing in your credit card information, accessing your emails, typing in any account information (passwords and usernames), etc. If you want to check your email or log on to your banking app, do so when you’re using cellular data and not a public network. That way, any malicious individuals who are on the same network will not be able to steal your private information.

Further, consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) app that will encrypt your connection to the network so that hackers cannot access your data, even if they’re connected to the same network.

The reason that the public loves WiFi hotspots is the same reason that eavesdropping hackers love them too: no authentication. Without requiring authentication to establish a network connection, a hacker can easily get access to any unsecured devices using the same network.

Read More: Mobile Malware is on the Rise — Find out Why

In short, the hacker works it out so that your information is sent directly to them. They then pass the information on — it doesn’t head to the original connection point.

What Information Can a Hacker Steal?
It turns out that a hacker can access a wealth of information over free, unsecured public WiFi.  You are potentially sharing with an eavesdropper your passwords, emails, texts, credit card information, and whatever you are doing over the free internet hotspot.

All of the information you send can then be used by a hacker whenever they want to use it. It could be that moment or it could be weeks later. He or she can then access whatever systems or programs you were using and pretend to be you.

What’s worse, these unsecured networks can be used to send malware your way. If you are allowing file-sharing over the network, your computer can easily become infected. In fact, some hackers are even making the hotspot itself a piece of malware. These attacks typically offer an upgrade to some sort of popular software, but when you click the window, malware will be installed.

How To Prevent Eavesdropping
You don’t have to skip the public WiFi — just be smart about using it. Try to connect to public networks that have good passwords instead of unsecured WiFi, and don’t browse through sensitive accounts like your online bank account while connected. If you don’t need WiFi, don’t automatically connect to it.

Finally, install PSafe TOTAL Windows on your computer and PSafe TOTAL on your Android smartphone to keep your devices safe from malware and viruses. Don’t access unsecured WiFi without them.

To see who’s using your Wi-Fi
1. Connect to the Wi-Fi network you’re suspicious someone is using.
2. Download Fing. Fing is a Wi-Fi network-monitoring app that lets you see which users are on your network.
3. Once the app has downloaded, open it. On the home screen, you will see the name of your network.
4. On the home screen, you will see “Refresh” and “Settings.” Click on the “Refresh” button to see which devices are connected to your Wi-Fi.
5. After the app has finished the process (this often takes several minutes), it will bring up a list of all the devices connected to your network. The app will also tell you if the device is a smartphone or a PC, as well as when certain devices connect and disconnect from the network.

To block users you don’t recognize
1. If you see a device logged onto your network that isn’t familiar, write down the address that follows the device in the Fing app. This address will be made up of numbers and letters in the pattern xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx.
2. Login to your router.
3. Once logged in, navigate to “Security.”
4. There, click “MAC Filtering.”
5. Click “Add Device.”
6. Add the MAC address of the device you want to block from the network. Once you’ve entered in the address, click “Apply” or “Save.” Now the offending device will be blocked from ever logging onto the network again.
7. In your security settings, change your password, as well. If your Wi-Fi has a password and someone was using it without permission, your password security might have been breached.
If no one is stealthily logging onto your Wi-Fi network and your Android is still running slowly, it’s time to try a different solution: PSafe Total. PSafe’s Internet Booster closes applications running in the background of your phone and speeds up your browser. All you need to do is click — and PSafe will do everything else.

Localize Your Cameras
You don’t need to connect your home security camera to the Internet at all. Instead, you can hook up your camera to a local network and then set up a non-routable internal IP address. Your camera manufacturer’s website will usually give you instructions on setting up this kind of non-routable camera.

Read More: Can Hackers Access Your Phone’s Camera and Microphone?

Add Passwords to Your Cameras
While not every security camera comes with password protection, you can still password-protect your camera. Most cameras let you set up a password in the initial setup, but you can also add one later in your settings, as well. You want to make sure that you set up a strong password that includes a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Make sure you change it regularly.

Encrypt Your Wireless
If your camera is wireless, you want to make sure you’re joining a wireless network that can’t be accessed by people trying to find your video. The best wireless you can join is an encrypted network – look for a WPA2 encrypted network on your new camera device.

Update Firmware
If there are problems with your camera’s firmware, the manufacturer usually will repair these problems in newer firmware versions. Make sure you’re checking your camera manufacturer’s website to see if any updates have been made. You want to make sure that your camera has up-to-the-minute security features.

Keep Your Camera Out of Private Areas
The best way to keep any embarrassing footage off the Internet is to make sure you keep your camera out of places you wouldn’t want footage seen. While it might be creepy to see yourself online eating dinner, that kind of footage isn’t as creepy as other footage types that could be posted.

Since you’ve gone to the trouble of protecting your home with a security camera in the first place, you want to make sure you can use it effectively. To better your camera’s function, download PSafe Total. With PSafe’s Memory Booster, you can optimize your device’s memory and storage so that you can speed up your device. Make sure all your security camera footage is recorded and stored properly with PSafe.

Turn on your Wi-Fi router’s encryption.

When you first get a router, its encryption feature will likely be disabled. But once it’s installed or turned on, you want to encrypt your router so only certain individuals can use it by connecting the router to an encryption setting called “WPA2.” To encrypt your router, you need to pick a password. You don’t want a password you can easily remember — instead, the best passwords combine letters, symbols, and numbers.

Change your default passwords.

Most routers come with passwords preset, and some hackers can be familiar with the default passwords used on common routers. Again, once your device is installed, you should change the default password and use a longer, more complicated password.

Change the default name of your Wi-Fi network.

Your router comes with a default router name: a service set identifier, or a “SSID.” A computer searching for wireless networks available will be able to see all the wireless networks with public broadcasting of this SSID. You want this SSID to be private to you and your family, so you should change your SSID network name to something original. To increase your security, don’t label your SSID with any identifying information.

Turn off your router’s name broadcasting.

After you’ve changed the SSID name, you also want to stop it from broadcasting publicly. To do this, you should turn on your network’s privacy settings. This will require you to set a password, but it will also prevent anyone from getting on your Wi-Fi without knowing this password.

Even if your child does bring a virus home, all hope is not lost. Simply download PSafe Total for Windows. PSafe’s antivirus software protects your computer from computer viruses and malware by scanning for intruders in real time. With 24-hour protection from PSafe, your home network will never be invaded by the hottest new (virus) trend again.