Every device on your office network can potentially see your computers, printers, file shares, and servers. When visitors, contractors, and personal phones join that same network, you’re trusting every one of those devices to be clean.
Separate the networks
- Business network: company laptops, printers, servers, and phones you manage.
- Guest network: visitors and personal devices, with internet access only.
- Device network: smart TVs, cameras, thermostats, and other connected gadgets that don’t need to reach your business systems.
The key setting is isolation: guest devices should not be able to reach your business network or each other.
Quick wins
- Use WPA3 (or at least WPA2) encryption on every network
- Change the default admin password on routers and access points
- Rotate the guest password regularly, and never share the business one
- Keep firewall and access point firmware up to date
- Limit guest bandwidth so visitors can’t slow down your team
Check today: if your guest Wi-Fi can print to the office printer, it isn’t separated.
Beyond the office
For employees working from home, company devices should use protections that don’t depend on the home network, such as device encryption, endpoint protection, and secure access to company systems.