Page 31 - How to be Cyber Safe + Savvy

cure links to the digital world. Data is encrypted and your identity is au- thenticated and protected, with all operations performed automatically by the network. Most phones run on networks with high levels of built-in security.
What about my computer's connection at home?
A wired connection to the internet is best ...
THE NITTY-GRITTY: The internet reaches you through a wire coming into your house that plugs into a mo- dem that then plugs into a computer. The modem “translates” the outside, electrical signal into digitized informa- tion your computer can read and use to interact with other online digital devices. However, modems serve as relay stations, not protections, for data. Any built-in security in this ar-
rangement originates with the larger network of your Internet Service Pro- vider, or ISP. Some do a better job than others of protecting data.
... But a home Wi-Fi network protected with a password is
also good.
THE NITTY-GRITTY: Your home Wi-Fi network works much like a wired net- work, except a router sits between the modem and your devices. The router broadcasts a wireless signal that wireless-enabled devices can use to connect to the internet. The signal then goes back through the same wires that you use with a wired home connection. Using a security system called Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA, the router requires users to enter a Network Key, or password, to join the small wireless network it creates. The name of your home network, or
CYBER SAFE + SAVVY 31