An update:
tl;dr version:
1: If you are currently running an older Cisco router — retire it. Immediately! Check CISA for details.
2: If you are not running both LAN and Wireless firewalls (and Mac address filtering) do the homework, do the math and then implement both.
3: If you are using *either* an Android or Apple smart phone, establish parental controls in your router, and enforce those limits on your wireless devices. Trust they *will* try to get around it. But if you value your privacy and data, DO NOT let them have unfettered continuous access. Why? Go into your router logs and take special note of the URLs your device consistently targets. Then run “whois” (or equivalent) on those URLs and find out what — who your — device is talking to unbeknownst to you.
4: Of course, ALL printers are — and always have been — the twisted results of unclean pairings, but recently they have gotten much worse. If you have recently purchased and HP printer (no matter what flavor) do some extra homework before you turn it on, and think very hard before you allow it to sign you up (which they will do automatically by default) for either HP+ or Instant Ink. Watch the following links before you decide what to do.
Note that if you elect to stop those killer updates, you will ALSO need to log into the administrative functions on the printer’s web interface, and shoot it in THREE more locations.
Also note that if you elect HP+, it DEMANDS an open, continuous and unfettered connection to the internet. Yeah. No risk there, eh?
More later. WX is closing in and I’m about to lose my connectivity.
