A new survey reveals a concerning trend: many people are neglecting to secure their routers, leaving them vulnerable to hackers.
If you’re like me, your home Wi-Fi is at the center of almost everything you do online, whether it’s online banking, paying bills, booking trips, chatting with friends or streaming movies. These days, it’s not just your laptop and phone connected to the network, but also things like security cameras, thermostats and even air conditioners are all managed by your router.
But be honest, when was the last time you did anything to secure your router? It’s easy to forget about it, especially if it’s working fine. The thing is, a lot of people feel the same way, and a study reveals this 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude could be putting millions at serious risk. The 2024 Broadband Genie router security survey has uncovered some startling facts about how internet users approach router security. Over half of respondents (52%) admitted they have never adjusted their router’s factory settings. Even more concerning, 86% of users have never changed their router administrator password. Leaving the default admin password unchanged is like leaving your front door unlocked. It’s an open invitation for hackers to exploit. Similarly, 72% of respondents have never changed their Wi-Fi password. Default passwords are often easily accessible and can be exploited in seconds by knowledgeable attackers. Firmware updates, essential for patching vulnerabilities and enhancing router functionality, are also largely ignored. An overwhelming 89% of users have never updated their router’s firmware. While newer routers often handle updates automatically, user awareness and action remain vital for those with older devices. Another glaring issue is the failure to change default network names, such as 'SKY12345' or 'Linksys-7890'
ROUTER SECURITY CYBERSECURITY INTERNET SAFETY HOME NETWORK PASSWORD MANAGEMENT
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