The Front Door We Forget to Lock
I grew up in a small town in West Texas where we didn’t worry much about locking our doors.
We knew our neighbors. Kids rode their bikes all over town, and if someone knocked on the front door, chances were you knew them or at least knew someone who did.
Looking back, there was something pretty special about that.
The world is different today. We lock our doors, set our alarms, and have cameras that tell us when someone walks onto the porch. Yet there’s another entrance into our homes that we often don’t think about protecting.
Our Wi-Fi.
Think about how much of your life passes through that little router. Our phones and computers connect to it, but so do televisions, doorbells, cameras, thermostats, printers, gaming systems, and all those smart devices we keep adding to our homes. If you work from home, your business may be coming through that same connection too.
Fortunately, protecting your Wi-Fi doesn’t require becoming an IT expert. A little common sense goes a long way.
Start with a strong, unique Wi-Fi password, and make sure your router’s administrator password isn’t still the one it came with. Keep your router updated, and if it’s old enough that the manufacturer no longer provides security updates, it may be time to replace it.
I also recommend setting up a guest Wi-Fi network. Friends and family can still get online, but they don’t necessarily need to be on the same network as the computer you use to pay bills, access financial accounts, or run your business.
That same common sense should travel with us.
Take the free Wi-Fi at the coffee shop down the street. I use public Wi-Fi too, but when I do, I use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which adds another layer of protection to my internet connection. If I don’t have a VPN available, I’m careful about what I do on that network. Reading the news or checking the weather is one thing. Accessing my bank or working with sensitive business information is another. For those things, I’d rather use my phone’s cellular connection or personal hotspot.
One more simple step is to turn on multi-factor authentication for your important accounts. That extra approval on your phone may seem inconvenient, but it can help protect your account if your password ever falls into the wrong hands.
None of this means we should be afraid of technology. Quite the opposite. Technology has given our families opportunities and conveniences I couldn’t have imagined growing up in West Texas.
But new technology still benefits from some old fashioned wisdom.
Protect what has been entrusted to you. Be thoughtful about who you let in. Teach your children to do the same. And when something doesn’t feel right, stop and think before you click.
We may not live in a world where everyone leaves the front door unlocked anymore. But our responsibility hasn’t changed.
Take care of what’s on the other side of the door, even when that door is your Wi-Fi.
We’re Your Partner in Peace of Mind
Call CMIT Solutions of Northwest DFW Today at (817) 591-1633 or Email Info@CMITSolutionsDFW.com
Because when your tech is taken care of, you get to focus on what really matters—serving your clients, growing your business, and sleeping a little easier at night.
