Why a router is a godsend for a hacker
Ondrej Vlcek | 17.03.2017
Almost every home with Internet access has a wireless Wi-Fi router. Many of us hide it in a far corner so that it attracts less attention and does not spoil the interior. At the same time, few people think that this small box with blinking lights unites all devices connected to the home network.
Laptop, mobile phone, all access to the Internet and local network goes through the router. Any potential cyber threat that threatens the security of user devices and data must pass through the router before it reaches the home network itself and the devices connected to it. And if there is a vulnerability in the router, attackers will be able to easily penetrate the home network and affect any device connected to it, such as an iPad or a refrigerator.
Over the past few months, Avast has assessed the security of uk whatsapp data than 4.3 million routers worldwide and found that 48% have vulnerabilities. This situation is very reminiscent of the level of security of personal computers in the 1990s, when news of vulnerabilities in PC security systems was coming in almost every day.
Is your home router the weak link?
Unfortunately, it must be acknowledged that home routers often contain many vulnerabilities due to the fact that there is no understanding and agreement between router manufacturers, Internet providers and security experts on the issue of who and how should ensure the protection of these devices.
On the one hand, equipment manufacturers are under pressure from retail chains and Internet providers and are forced to sell their routers at very low prices, starting at $20 apiece. As a result, this has a negative impact on the quality of the product. Most routers use single-chip systems (SoC) without any additional settings. Thus, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of routers on the market, in which no funds are invested in updating the software, which ultimately leads to a cosmic increase in the number of vulnerabilities.