When you got your Linksys or D-Link router home from the store and set it up, it came with a default system ID called the SSID (Service Set Identifier) or ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier). This ID is also commonly referred to as the name of your Wifi setup.

The Problem: Usually, manufacturers assign identical SSID sets to their devices, and 80 percent of Wifi home users leave their system on the default setting. So that means that 80 percent of homes have Wifi systems titled, "Default" or "LinkSys" or whatever your provider sets as the default name.

The problem with these default settings is that they serve as strong signals to hackers who have been known to just cruise neighborhoods looking for Wifi networks with default names to hack into. Though knowing the SSID does not allow anyone to break into your network, it usually indicates that the person hasn't taken any steps to protect their network, thus these networks are the most common targets.

The Solution: Change the default SSID immediately when you configure your LAN. This may not completely offer any protection as to who gains access to your network, but configuring your SSID to something personal, e.g. "The Smith House Wifi Network", will differentiate you from other unprotected networks, and discourage hackers from targeting you. As an added bonus, having a Wifi network with a unique name also means that neither you or your family will make the mistake of connecting through a neighbor's Wifi network, and thus exposing your computers through their unprotected setup.