Employees and managers alike continue to debate the pros and cons of working remotely. Many workers desire to keep their flexible schedules, lower costs, and improved work-life balance. On the other side, some managers and executives believe that for employees to be fully engaged in their work, they must be present in the workplace.

A Harvard Business Review (HBR) article claims that reducing employees' sense of alienation from their coworkers and the corporate culture is a compelling justification for getting them back to the office. Studies have shown that remote workers are more inclined to leave their jobs when they feel alienated and separated.

These emotions of loneliness can be lessened by encouraging employees to socialize and assigning them a talking companion. For remote and hybrid workers who live in the same city, employers can arrange gatherings to lessen their sense of loneliness.

Many firms argue that returning to the workplace is necessary to boost worker productivity, since people are less productive at home than they are at work.

But the HBR analysis shows just the opposite. Following the COVID-19 lockdowns in April through mid-May 2020, researchers collected metadata from all Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx meetings (with webcams on or off) from ten sizable international organizations. They then compared this set of six weeks in 2021 and 2022 with the same set of six weeks in 2020.

The study concluded that, while remote work doesn't reduce productivity; it does alter how both employees and employers define productivity. The habits of remote employees changed in 2022 as compared to 2020, when it was novel.

The survey found virtual meetings are more common today. They’re more spontaneous, condensed, and with fewer people. We can assume that as remote working became more ubiquitous, people realized that sometimes it's unnecessary to have a 30-minute to an hour-long meeting.

The HBR study found that meetings were 10 minutes shorter in 2022 than they were in 2020, and 66% of one-on-one meetings were unscheduled. In contrast to the strict timetables organizations followed prior to the epidemic, these statistics can be attributed to managers and employees arranging meetings on an as-needed basis.

Another interesting fact from the research found that meeting attendance decreased by 50%, from an average of 20 participants to 10. According to HBR, this decline was brought on by a rise in one-on-one meetings in 2022, when 42% of meetings were one-on-ones, up from 17% in 2020.

The goal of the HBR study was to refute the claim that remote workers are not interacting with their coworkers. Unplanned one-on-one meetings, according to the report, may take the place of the face-to-face interactions that employees once had at work.
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Although the ways that we work now are different and might change more over time, it's clear that people are still working. Bottom line: Does it really matter where employees are working as long as they finish their tasks on time and meet their targets?

We’ve covered the four-day workweek in several issues: In the pre-pandemic issue 6-10, we made the case that a four-day workweek could be the norm by 2050. In issue 9-05, the cover article also said the four-day workweek may be coming and potentially much sooner than 2050 because of the pandemic. Neither of these articles, however, looked at the positive impact a four-day workweek could have on the planet and our ecosystem.

When the pandemic hit, the world as we knew it changed dramatically with everyone at home, transportation infrastructure stopped and heavy industrial production drastically curtailed. Emissions from driving, flying and industrial output were dramatically reduced. Air quality in cities around the world showed marked improvement, while global emissions plummeted.

In May 2021, environmental and social justice collective Platform London released a report detailing the ecological impact of a shorter work week. From the earliest days of the pandemic, it was apparent that fewer people commuting translated quickly to reduced pollution, clearer skies, and less congestion on the roads. The impact was global, with Americans reporting less smog in Los Angeles and Europeans famously spotting dolphins in the canals of Venice. While some of this may be exaggerated, the benefits of fewer rush hour commuters are not. Fewer people heading to the office also means a reduction in electricity consumption from fewer lights, air conditioners and elevators running.

Many estimates put the reduction in carbon footprint at around 30% simply by offering one full day off per week. A more modest 10% reduction in hours (roughly three to four hours a week for most full-time workers) still translates to a 14.6% decrease in carbon emissions.

“The one thing we do know from lots of years of data and various papers and so forth is that the countries with short hours of work tend to be the ones with low emissions, and work time reductions tend to be associated with emission reduction,” said Juliet Schor, an economist and sociologist at Boston College who researches work, consumption and climate change.

It’s what you might call a “potential triple-dividend policy, so something that can benefit the economy, society and also the environment,” said Joe O’Connor, chief executive of the nonprofit group 4-Day Week Global. “There are not many policy interventions that are available to us that could potentially have the kind of transformative impact that reduced work time could have.”

Part of the problem is that we can’t forecast what workers will do with that additional day. Many believe, and international studies like those recently done in Iceland prove, that people will eventually gravitate into more eco-friendly activities like hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. But, if people choose to spend their extra time off traveling, particularly if they use planes or automobiles, we may not see any material eco-related benefits.
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“When we talk about the four-day workweek and the environment, we focus on the tangible, but actually, in a way, the biggest potential benefit here is in the intangible,” O’Connor said. “It’s in the shift away from a focus on hard work to a focus on smart work. It’s the cultural change in how we work and the impact that could have on how we live, and I think that’s the piece that’s really revolutionary.”

Last month consulting firm McKinsey & Company released their newest edition of their American Opportunity Survey on remote work. There are many statistics from the survey, but the bottom line is that the flexible work arrangements companies put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic are here to stay.

“After more than two years of observing remote work and predicting that flexible working would endure after the acute phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, we view these data as a confirmation that there has been a major shift in the working world and in society itself,” the report states. 

The survey is a joint effort between McKinsey & Company and market-research firm Ipsos. Around 25,000 Americans 18 and older completed the survey and the report shares the number of people working remotely, how many days per week they have flexible arrangements, the gender, ethnicity, and education level of those wanting to work remotely, and more. Another important fact is that respondents come from many different careers, not only with “white collar” jobs.

The first interesting result was that 58% (the equivalent of 92 million people) have the opportunity to work remotely at least one day a week. 35% have the option to work remotely up to 5 days a week. 42% had no opportunity to work from home.

Another striking result from the survey is that when offered, almost every employee would take the opportunity to work remotely. 87% of employees offered at least some remote work embraced the opportunity and spent an average of 3 days per week working from home.

The report stated that flexible work arrangements vary by occupation, age, gender, and income level. Young, educated people with high incomes had the most remote work possibilities. Men (61%) did better than women (52%). 47% of those with incomes between $25,000 and $49,000 had remote opportunities. 75% of those with incomes over $150,000 had remote work opportunities.
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Because the survey was conducted online, McKinsey admits the results could be biased against people with lower incomes, less education, and people living in rural areas, as these groups tend to be underrepresented on the internet. The firm attempted to overcome any possible bias with weighted models. 

The White House is taking a victory lap over its efforts to close the digital divide, announcing recently that 10 million households have signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which was funded to the tune of $14.2 billion under the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The program, designed for low-income Americans, offers eligible households up to $30 off their monthly internet service, or up to $75 off for those living on tribal lands. 

The Affordable Connectivity Program grew out of the pandemic-related funding provided under the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which offered low-income households up to $50 off their monthly bills. That program came together quickly and was marked early on by technical troubles that made it nearly impossible for some Americans who had been approved for the program to sign up for service with their internet providers.

Some providers were also found to be stretching the rules laid out by the FCC, which required people enrolled in the program to actively opt in to full-price internet plans whenever the funding for the discounts ran out. That approach was designed to prevent low-income Americans from getting hit with surprise bills they couldn't afford. But reporters found at least two providers were requiring people to opt in to higher priced plans as a condition of enrollment.

The false starts raised questions about whether the EBB program was really making a dent in the digital divide. One study last summer estimated that 36 million households might be eligible for the program. At the time, just under 4 million households had enrolled. 

The author of that report, John Horrigan, a senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, said the progress that's been made since then is "encouraging." "In a fairly short time frame, the program that didn't exist has ramped up to a good level," he said.

But even with 10 million households enrolled, tens of millions of eligible households may still be left behind. According to Horrigan's calculations, in 2021, there were 38 million households at or below 200% of the poverty level in the U.S., which would make them eligible for the program. That, he said, means "more elbow grease" needs to be applied in terms of outreach.
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While the White House’s announcement was a chance to celebrate the success of the program, it also marked the beginning of a dedicated push to get more Americans enrolled. The White House said the FCC and its local partners will be holding 10 enrollment events over the next month to both raise awareness for the program and train navigators who can help people enroll.

If you’ve noticed cryptic new icons popping up on your phone next to the 5G logo, you’re not alone. Carriers are expanding their 5G networks in a big way this year, and those little “UW” and “UC” logos you’re suddenly seeing represent the different varieties of 5G you’re encountering in the wild. Like Pokémon, but way more confusing.

Isn’t 5G just… 5G? Nope. There are low, mid, and high-band varieties of 5G spectrum. They all provide different levels of data speeds, and all major US carriers use all three. Naturally, they also have different names for them. Depending on your carrier, you may see abbreviations pop up next to the 5G symbol on your phone when you’re connected to the corresponding network. Here’s a quick guide to the different varieties of 5G in the US and the abbreviations carriers have assigned to them.

5G Spectrum Basics. Broadly speaking, low-band 5G has widespread signal reach, but speeds aren’t much faster than 4G LTE (if at all). High-band 5G is very fast—download a movie in seconds fast—but the signal is extremely limited. Then there’s mid-band 5G, which offers a kind of middle ground between the two: far-reaching signal and speeds that are noticeably faster than 4G, though not shockingly fast like high-band.

Verizon
5G UW: Verizon refers to both its high-band and mid-band 5G as Ultra Wideband (UW). Until recently, UW referred only to the high-band network, also called mmWave. Verizon put a lot of energy into building and promoting this network, but even in the limited areas where it exists, the signal can be difficult to find. Starting in 2022, Verizon started lighting up new mid-band 5G spectrum in major cities and classified it, too, as Ultra Wideband. Not confusing at all.

If you see the 5G UW icon on your phone, chances are you’re on the mid-band network. If you’re on mmWave, you’ll notice a big difference in data speeds. But if your data just seems noticeably fast, not ridiculously fast, then you’re probably on mid-band.

5G Nationwide: Verizon refers to its low-band 5G as 5G Nationwide. You’re connected to this network if you just see a 5G logo on your phone without “UW” next to it. And if your reaction to seeing that 5G icon pop up is something like “Huh, this doesn’t seem any faster than 4G,” you’re not imagining things. It’s generally not much faster than LTE. Certain Verizon plans, like its basic 5G Start unlimited plan, only include this low-band version of 5G. 

AT&T
5G Plus: A “5G+” logo on your screen means you’re connected to either AT&T’s high-band or mid-band spectrum. AT&T has put much less effort behind building out a high-band network outside of stadiums and airport terminals, so you’re not likely to encounter it just out-and-about. As of early 2022, mid-band AT&T spectrum is also sort of scarce since the carrier is taking a “kill two birds with one stone” approach to its mid-band expansion. A 5G logo without the “Plus” refers to the carrier’s low-band 5G network, which, it’s worth repeating, is not much faster than LTE.

T-Mobile
5G UC: T-Mobile’s “Ultra Capacity” network technically includes high-band 5G, but the bulk of the network—and T-Mobile’s advertising—is centered on the mid-band spectrum included in the name. While Verizon and AT&T are just getting their mid-band networks up and running, T-Mobile got a head start with the 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum it picked up when it acquired Sprint. If you see that “5G UC” logo on your phone, you can bet that’s the spectrum you’re connected to. 
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Extended Range: A 5G logo without “UC” indicates that you’re connected to low-band 5G, which T-Mobile calls “Extended Range.” Again, it’s not much faster than LTE, but coverage is more widespread than mid-band or high-band 5G. If you’ve seen a 5G logo on your T-Mobile phone and been unimpressed by the data speeds, that might be why.

The Internet once held great promise to empower individuals, but it has become yet another path of control for bad actors. Today, authoritarian governments and companies around the world track and surveil individuals; data is not private and is sold for profit; some states algorithmically “score” their citizens; and propaganda and disinformation are rampant.

Thankfully, we are on the cusp of “Web3,” a next-generation Internet that could shift the balance back toward individuals. If the United States embraces Web3, it could also offer a pivotal advantage in its ongoing competition with authoritarian states, especially China.

What is Web3? To understand, it helps to go back to the beginning.

Think of Web1 as the original one-way Web pages of the 1990s—static sites coupled with the dawn of widespread email. Web2 came to life as the Internet became interactive, allowing users to log in and create their own content. At the same time, Google, Facebook and other massive tech platforms hosted “free” services in exchange for our data. Over subsequent decades, of course, the Internet has continued to advance and grow more sophisticated, but we mostly still operate in a Web2 world.

Now, we are closing in on a new version of the Internet—Web3—built on the blockchain, a technology that makes it possible to transact data securely, and smart contracts, which allow users to make agreements without relying on intermediaries, it’s what permits you to pay a vendor directly using cryptocurrency, no bank required. Web3 is still being developed and defined, but it’s clear that, fundamentally, it will offer a more decentralized version of the Internet.

Web3 is in its heady early days. New companies are forming daily to remove central platforms and bring decentralized, more secure services to users globally. Some focus on video-sharing services with no central repository—in contrast with YouTube or TikTok. Others are creating decentralized shared-storage options, unlike centralized cloud services.

These new services address many of the biggest problems of today’s Internet. Security is improved because there is no central database to hack. Privacy is protected because users directly control their data. Resiliency is built into Web3 through decentralization.

And this decentralization makes control by authoritarian governments much more difficult.

In 1999, it would have been hard to believe that one day teenagers would become millionaires by making videos of themselves playing video games or that political revolutions would be fomented on a website designed to share photos of college students.

Web3 could be equally revolutionary by shifting power back to individual users—which would be good for democracy and for the United States, for two reasons:

First, authoritarian states cannot abide private life because that’s where anti-governmental activities can percolate. China and Russia have already set up mechanisms to spy on and control the existing Web2 infrastructure through firewalls, censorship and coercion of technology platforms. Web3 would make such authoritarian controls much more difficult.

Second, although the United States still dominates Web2 in many ways, the Web’s current framework allows China to sweep up swaths of data to power its political and military artificial intelligence systems. The decentralization and personal data control of Web3 would make it much harder for China to maintain data dominance.

Web3 will, of course, be disruptive for good actors as well. Law enforcement will confront websites for which there are no “take down” notices and no corporate CEOs to enforce regulations. Intelligence agencies will need to find new ways to monitor terrorists. Seemingly invincible technology companies could go the way of Blockbuster. Nonetheless, the United States should not fear the rise of Web3—it should adapt to, invest in, and promote it.
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Geopolitics is about relative power and relative gains. Conceptually, Web3 is innately more beneficial to Western liberal democracies, which value democracy and personal privacy. This would return the advantage to the West and force China and other authoritarian states to confront their weaknesses, change them or fall behind.

It might seem counterproductive that a professor who researches the effects of technology on society would put his cellphone on mute.

Yet that's exactly what Simon Gottschalk, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, does during his time away from work.

Disconnecting from technology, says Gottschalk, allows him to do the things that really matter, like hanging out with his family, walking in the park, and sometimes, doing absolutely nothing.

Doing nothing, says Gottschalk, has benefits for productivity, health and forming true social connections.

“There's a lot of research that shows when the brain is at rest and is not distracted by so many different sources of stimulation, then new thoughts are possible. The brain starts thinking differently and starts focusing differently on one's environment," he says.

Doing nothing can seem counterproductive in our goal-oriented culture, but doing nothing isn't being lazy, says Gottschalk. In a recent study by the National Institutes of Health, improved memory and ability to learn a new skill were found to result from taking short mental breaks when learning new tasks.

“We're human beings and we need time to recreate and recharge ourselves," says Gottschalk. "It's not wasted time. It's time we really need to function and remain sane."

Some of the most productive people in history relied on down time to spark creativity.

“Einstein was known to stare into space for hours. What appeared from the outside as doing nothing was his mind working in different ways," says Gottschalk. “Because he was staring into space and his mind wasn't constantly distracted, then (he) could approach problems or approach questions completely differently."
Doing nothing can also prep us for better sleep, by reducing the external stressors of the day, says Gottschalk.

Different Approaches. Doing nothing means different things to different people. Meditation is one of the oldest forms of quieting your mind and body. And some things can interfere with our ability to zone out. Here are a few pointers for giving your mind a rest.

• Disconnect from technology. Before we can take a mental break, we need to unplug, Gottschalk says. “Disconnecting keeps us from trying to be involved in so many activities and being distracted all the time," he says. Gottschalk suggests turning off or muting your smartphone whenever possible.
• Let go after work. If you've had a rough day on the job, it's even more critical to decompress. If your boss or coworkers are negative or abusive, relaxing right after work can be the key to a better night's sleep, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Those who could take their minds off the workday through relaxing activities such as yoga, walking or chilling to music, slept better than those who ruminated on workplace incivility.
• Doodle away. Remember that teacher who yelled at you for doodling in class? Well, he should've encouraged it instead. Doodling increases blood flow to the brain's medial prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for regulating our feelings, thoughts and actions, according to preliminary research by Drexel University. Doodling, and to a lesser extent free-drawing and coloring, activates the brain's reward circuit that controls emotion and motivation. These 15- to 20-minute art sessions also offer a confidence boost. In a post-study survey, participants perceived themselves as having good ideas and being able to solve problems.
• Skip the binge watching. While you may be tempted to tune out with your favorite show, marathon viewing isn't exactly doing nothing. A University of Michigan study found that young adults age 18 to 25 who binge-watched shows regularly suffered fatigue, insomnia and poorer sleep quality, even though they reported sleeping seven hours and 37 minutes on average. If you watch one episode, chances are you might keep going unintentionally. The researchers found that binge watching kept subjects mentally alert, which may have contributed to their poor sleep quality.
• Protect your private time. It's important to keep work separate from family time and leisure activities, says Gottschalk. Set boundaries with coworkers, family and friends about your availability. Disconnecting from technology comes into play here, too. “Research suggests, for example, that mere anticipation that you will receive work-related emails after work increases your stress level. And that will increase burnout and increase many physiological consequences of stress," says Gottschalk. His recommendation: Put your smartphone on mute and have an automatic response message that says you'll return the call or email during normal business hours.

If you have an old phone, an alarm system or an ankle monitor, your tech could stop working properly next year.

In 2022, everything from your old phone to your alarm system could stop working as service providers turn off 3G networks in the United States.

Kami Griffiths has a perfectly fine phone. It’s your standard Samsung Galaxy smartphone with all the important apps, a decent camera, and a screen big enough to watch videos. It’s so fine, in fact, she’s had it since 2016 without ever feeling the need to drop hundreds of dollars on an upgrade.

Come next year, though, Griffiths won’t have a choice. That’s the current deadline for when the only cellular network her phone can use will shut down forever.

All the major cellphone carriers—AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile—are planning to shut their older 3G networks in 2022. Like millions of people in the United States who use 3G phones and other 3G devices, she will have to buy a new device if she wants to text, make calls, or even reach 911.

When these deadlines roll around, Griffith’s own phone could be the least of her problems. Griffiths, who is an executive director and co-founder of Community Tech Network—a nonprofit that focuses on digital literacy in San Francisco—is worried that the group’s clients, a mix of mostly older adults and low-income residents, will find themselves either without a working phone, or could struggle to figure out how to use a new device.

“It’s going to be very difficult for them. They will not be happy,” said Griffiths, who notes older tech users have a harder time figuring out new devices. “If it works fine, they don’t want to change a thing.”

Why Is This Happening? 3G network technology has been around in the United States for two decades. Verizon launched the first 3G network in the nation in 2002, and 4G has been around since 2010. In 2019, carriers started slowly rolling out 5G networks and soon the big companies were launching 5G smartphones. Now they need to focus their resources on building out those newer networks, while saving money on maintaining the older ones.
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“The reason the carriers would like to get rid of old legacy tech is to free up that wireless spectrum,” said Ian Fogg, vice president of analysis at mobile analytics firm Opensignal. “If you switch off older tech in most markets, most countries, your spectrum license allows you to use that with newer networks like 4G and 5G.”
When Do the Networks Shut Down? The shutdown dates start in January 2022 and are spread out throughout the year. At this time, the dates are all confirmed, and the carriers are proceeding as if they are set in stone. However, the Federal Communications Commission recently accepted comments from groups and people concerned about the shutdown, which could lead to a delay.

What if you could run the full Windows 10 or Windows 11 experience on the iPad you’re carrying around everywhere with you? Microsoft actually has a product that does that: The brand-new Windows 365 lets you create and customize a Cloud PC. You can then access it securely from any device that supports internet browsers. Even an iPad or a Mac.

Windows 365 is a cloud-based Microsoft experience that targets businesses. The product might help companies rethink their strategies for upgrading their fleet of Windows devices. Rather than continuously investing in new hardware, some businesses might want to keep their current PCs and get Windows 365 PCs for their employees.

The Windows 365 Cloud PC comes with customizable hardware. You can choose how many cores, how much RAM, and how much storage a workstation requires. It can all be changed after the fact, in real-time, if a particular Cloud PC needs more resources to get the job done.

That PC is tied to a single user who can then access their remote desktop from anywhere in the world.

How to get the Windows 365 Cloud PC. After configuration, the Cloud PC is always there, ready to let you pick up where you left off. You can access it via a browser or an app. To get back to the iPad example, you can choose between Safari and a dedicated iOS app.

You’d access your Windows 365 PC similarly from any other device that can run browser apps.

The Cloud PC is encrypted, and the data is encrypted as it’s streamed to you. That’s the key thing about Microsoft’s Cloud PC. You need an active internet connection to use it. Microsoft explains that if you can stream video on your current device, then Windows 365 works. And the Cloud PC’s connection is more formidable than most home setups.

But once set up, the Cloud PC will offer you an instant-on experience. You’ll get all your documents just as you left them the last time you “opened” your work PC. And you’ll be able to roll back the Cloud PC to previous states if you’ve deleted anything by mistake.

Windows 365 launched on August 2nd, but it’s only available to businesses. You can expect a per-user monthly subscription cost, in line with what’s available from other 365 experiences.

It’s unclear when commercial users will ever get access to the product. There might be regular Windows users who might want a similar Cloud PC experience without getting one from their employer.

What does a Cloud PC cost? Things aren’t as easy as with Microsoft 365.

You’ll be able to customize the Cloud PC’s hardware depending on your organization’s needs. Or have your company’s IT department configure your virtual Cloud PC based on the performance you require for getting work done.

Cloud PCs start at a single-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, but they can go up to an eight-core CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

The idea of running Windows in the cloud isn’t new, and Microsoft already offers an alternative to interested customers. But Windows 365 is going to make the entire thing a lot simpler. IT departments can customize a Cloud PC within minutes, and users can log into their remote workstation as soon after that initial setup.
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You can check out Windows 365 in great detail at this link. There are three configurations priced at $31, $41, and $66 per month per user. A more detailed Microsoft Mechanics video gives you an actual look at what the Windows 365 experience will look and feel like, including on the iPad.

Given how much valuable information we entrust to computers these days, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your work and home networks are safe. All it takes is one chink in your Wi-Fi’s armor to compromise your system, leading to ransomware, invasion of privacy, and the loss of invaluable personal data. Learn how to secure your Wi-Fi network today, and rest easier knowing you’ve prevented future outrages.

Wi-Fi works by broadcasting the signal from your modem via a wireless router up to several hundred feet away, allowing any compatible device to connect to the internet. While this is undoubtedly a major convenience for both work and home networks, it also raises the unpleasant possibility that a cybercriminal could compromise the network and access your devices and information. Should any crime be committed using your PC, such as spamming or harassment, the investigation would lead back to your computer, potentially putting you at legal risk.

However, as long as the wireless signal is sufficiently encrypted or rearranged into a coded transmission, your network should be safe from digital eavesdroppers and intruders. Two types of encryption are commonly used on routers, computers, and other devices: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). The most current and robust encryption is known as WPA3, though the weaker WPA2 is more common. Either should protect you from all but the most determined cybercriminals, though WPA3 will give you greater security against the latest threats. If you’re still using WEP to protect your Wi-Fi network, even the most common hacking programs could pose a threat, so consider upgrading your router for one with WPA3 included.

Upgrade Your Wi-Fi Security. It is worth noting that even though many routers now come with WPA3 encryption as standard, some do not have encryption enabled right out of the box. Fortunately, enabling the encryption is a simple matter of following the router’s instruction manual or manufacturer’s website. Additionally, there are several steps to take during the router’s setup to minimize the risks to your network, though these settings can also be adjusted at a later time.

Limit Wi-Fi Access. First and foremost, you should consider enabling any available options to limit the number of devices that can access your network, which you can do either through your computer’s Wi-Fi or directly through your router’s app. While it might be convenient to get that Wi-Fi-connected slow cooker you saw online, Internet of Things (IoT) devices can serve as easy entry points for hackers. Each device will be assigned an individual Media Address Control (MAC) that will allow your approved devices to access Wi-Fi while blocking those without a MAC – though hackers have spoofed MAC addresses before, so don’t rely solely on this feature to secure your network.

Protect Your Router. Since your router is the primary point of contact between your network and the internet, you need to make sure it’s been well-secured as your primary form of cyber defense. Failure to secure your router can allow hackers to seize control of it, redirect your web traffic, and steal personal and financial info. If you’re still using the generic network name and password the router came with, you could be in some severe trouble and not even know it.

PC users can check their router’s encryption status by right-clicking on the Internet Access toolbar icon and selecting Properties. From there, scroll down to Properties at the bottom of the window, and you’ll be able to check the security type that’s running, which should be WPA2 at a minimum.

Mac users can check the encryption status by opening System Preferences, clicking on “Network,” and then selecting the Wi-Fi network listed and then clicking on the “Advanced…” button. The network will be listed with its encryption status.

Changing the stock password the router shipped with is of paramount importance since these manufacturer-provided details are not always randomized and are well-known by hackers. Find your router’s IP address and use that to access it. Log in and change the default password. You should also ensure that their router’s service set identifier (SSID) has been changed to a unique name that only you know.

Update Your Router’s Firmware and Software Regularly. We all update our smartphones regularly. But updating your router is even more critical. You can accomplish this by either accessing your router directly or using an app, if available. Most routers have an option to update it directly in the admin panel.

Disable Remote Access. While the idea of accessing your router from anywhere with an internet connection might seem appealing, keep in mind that anyone else with the right skills can do the same. Remote access can be disabled via accessing your router directly or using an app. 
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Essentially, by following the same practices to protect your computer from digital intrusions (frequent updates, attention to detail, malware protection, etc.), you can help keep your wireless networks safe and sound.