Attackers can find and remotely access about one in 16 internet-connected home wi-fi routers using the manufacturer’s default admin password, a Comparitech study has found.
This causes the victims to be at risk of eavesdropping, malware and hijacking.
Routers that use the manufacturer’s default administrator credentials can be remotely found and attacked using publicly available passwords, granting malicious hackers access to the victim’s home network.
What is the threat?
If a bad actor gains access to your wi-fi router’s administrator panel, it becomes more than just someone abusing your connection. Many attacks could be launched.
– DNS hijacking
Domain name system (DNS for short) is what associates domain names like “comparitech.com” into IP addresses that computers use to communicate over the internet.
An attacker could redirect users to malicious sites and malware downloads without their knowledge by tampering with DNS entries in the router.
– Eavesdropping
Eavesdropping on conversations is bad and so is eavesdropping when it comes to the cyberworld.
Eavesdropping is when the attacker monitors everything the victim does online on every device connected to the router. They can also see the websites that are visited as well as see any unencrypted data sent over the network.
– Abuse your connection
The attacker could use the router as a proxy to download pirated content, visit illicit sites, or access illegal material. Because your name is registered, you could be suspected of or held liable for these activities.
If a router is compromised, so is every device connected to it.
Change your default administrator password
Your wi-fi router’s administrative password should be different from the password you use to connect to the internet. We get lazy and tend to use the same password (or slight variations of that one password) for multiple accounts and websites. This is a very bad idea. The administrative username and password are used to log into the device’s administrative dashboard, where you can manage your router’s settings and features.
Changing your router’s admin password is critical to your home’s cybersecurity. Be sure to create a unique and strong password.
How to change the password
Access your router’s administrative panel by connecting to it normally using wi-fi or LAN. Then, open a web browser and type “192.168.0.1” or “192.168.1.1” (no quotes) into the URL bar, and press Enter. In most cases, this leads to the router dashboard login page.
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