Is my home Wi-Fi safe? A simple guide for retirees

Last updated October 6, 2026.

The short answer

Your home Wi-Fi can be made quite safe with a few simple checks, and most of them take minutes. It's just as important to know what Wi-Fi security can't do. It protects your home network. It doesn't stop a scam phone call, a phishing email or a fake tech support pop-up. For those, a few good habits do the heavy lifting.

Where the real risks are

The biggest losses don't come from someone breaking into a Wi-Fi network. In 2025, people over 60 filed 201,266 complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and reported $7.7 billion in losses, a 59% jump from 2024.¹ Phishing and spoofing was the most reported crime in that group, and tech support scams alone cost them about $1.04 billion.¹ These scams work by persuading a person, not by hacking a router.

At the same time, more of daily life runs through home Wi-Fi. Pew Research found that 78% of Americans 65 and older own a smartphone.² So the network matters too.

Six simple checks for your home Wi-Fi

1. Change the router's admin password. This is the password for the router's settings, not your Wi-Fi password. Defaults are easy to guess.³
2. Make sure your Wi-Fi is encrypted. Look for WPA2 or WPA3 in the settings.³
3. Keep the router updated. Turn on automatic updates if your router offers them.³
4. Give visitors a guest network with its own name and password, so grandkids and guests stay off your main network.³
5. Know what's connected. Look through the list of devices on your network now and then, and remove anything you don't recognize.
6. Ask for help if you'd like it. A family member can walk through these checks with you in an afternoon.

Four habits that stop most scams

CISA, the US cybersecurity agency, recommends four basics for everyone:⁴

• Recognize and report phishing. Be wary of unexpected calls, texts or emails, especially ones that ask for money, passwords or remote access to your computer.
• Use strong passwords, ideally with a password manager.
• Turn on two-step login (multifactor authentication) for email and bank accounts.
• Update your software on phones, tablets and computers.

If a caller says your computer has a virus, hang up and call a number you already trust.

Where Rio fits

Rio is a Wi-Fi router with a simple app, built around two of the checks above. Every new device that joins your Wi-Fi waits for you to tap Approve or Block, and the app shows your devices room by room. Visitors and grandkids get their own guest Wi-Fi, kept apart from your devices, and they're removed when they disconnect. Setup takes about 10 minutes, and real people answer email at support@riorouter.com. Rio secures your home network. It doesn't stop scam calls, phishing emails or fraud, so the habits above still matter. See how Rio works.

Frequently asked questions

Can a router stop scam calls and phishing emails?

No. A router protects your home network. Scam calls, texts and phishing emails work by persuading a person, so the best defense is being wary of unexpected messages and using two-step login on important accounts.

How do I know if someone is using my Wi-Fi?

Open your router's app or settings page and look at the list of connected devices. If you see something you don't recognize, remove it and change your Wi-Fi password.

Should grandkids use my main Wi-Fi?

It's better to give visitors a guest network with its own name and password. That keeps their devices apart from yours.

Do I need to replace my router?

Not always. If your router still gets updates and supports WPA2 or WPA3, the checks above go a long way. If it no longer gets updates, it's time to replace it.

Sources

1. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report, April 2026 (section: Complaints filed by individuals 60+). https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2025_IC3Report.pdf
2. Pew Research Center, Mobile Fact Sheet, November 20, 2025 (survey conducted February 5 to June 18, 2025). https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
3. Federal Trade Commission, How To Secure Your Home Wi-Fi Network, updated December 2022. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-secure-your-home-wi-fi-network
4. CISA, Secure Our World. https://www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world