Router Hacking: Spot It, Fix It, Prevent It

Hacking isn’t just something that happens to phones, computers, or big business networks. A router is one of the devices required for an internet connection. If you have internet at home, you have a router, whether you bought one yourself or are renting it from your internet service provider . And if you have a router, it could be a target for router hacking. You may be thinking, Why would anyone want to hack my router? I don’t have anything worth hacking. But you may be surprised by the many ways criminals can use hacking your router to steal from you or commit nefarious deeds. Here are just a few things they can do once they’re in your router: Ultimately, a cybercriminal’s goal is to get money. Whether they’re stealing your bank account password, selling your personal data, or using your internet to steal money from other people, hacking into your router gives them lots of options. There are lots of different ways criminals accomplish router hacking. Some of them require elaborate schemes. But many of them are a lot simpler than you would expect. Most hackers, it turns out, are just getting in through doors you unintentionally left open for them. One of those ways is by not changing your router’s admin password. Did you know you had one? Lots of people don’t know your router has its own special password to change settings, so they don’t change it to something other than the default. But the default passwords are the same across every router from that manufacturer, and since they’re meant to be changed, they’re not very secure. If you don’t change it, a hacker can put in default passwords until they find the one that gives them full access. Or if you change it to a password that’s not secure, they may be able to crack the password anyway. Another potential path into your router is a firmware vulnerability. Firmware is the software built into your router that helps it connect your devices to the internet. Just like any software, firmware can have vulnerabilities that let hackers in. And like any software, those vulnerabilities get fixed by updates. But most firmware doesn’t update automatically. If you haven’t updated your firmware, your router is probably at risk. The important thing to remember with router hacking is that anything can be hacked with enough time and effort. But for those of us who don’t have state secrets or millions of dollars, criminals are probably targeting our routers because they want a router, not specifically because they want our router. Security doesn’t have to make your router hack-proof. It just needs to make it hard enough for the hacker to give up and move on. Depending on what the hacker wants, router hacking may not be obvious. But if you know what to look for, you may be able to spot some suspicious signs. Watch for these indications of a problem: Just one of these signs isn’t necessarily cause for concern. Most have other explanations besides router hacking. But if you start to see multiple signs, you may have a problem. If your router has been hacked, it’s time to take action. Many of the steps to kick hackers out are ones you can do yourself with just your router’s manual and a little patience. But if you’re not confident in your ability to fix it, you can take it to a tech support person or replace it entirely. Your first step once you realize you’ve been targeted by router hacking is to disconnect it. Unplug all cables going into or coming out of the router. This will stop the hacker from using your internet or accessing your devices. But leave the power cable plugged in, because your router will need power to do the rest of these steps. The next thing to do is a factory reset. This goes beyond just turning it off and back on like you would to reset it. Most routers have a very tiny button you will need to push, but check your router’s manual for specific instructions. A factory reset removes all configurations and returns it to a blank slate. This also will remove some kinds of malware. A factory reset changes the admin password back to the default. Log into the admin panel and change it. Set it to something long, unique and complex. Change the SSID, also known as your wifi network name , and the wifi password. If you have smart devices, it’s not a bad idea to set up a guest network as well. Smart devices are often less secure, and a guest network will provide internet access without letting any hacker that gets in access your router. Once you have everything set up, scan your system with an antivirus software . Some antiviruses have options to scan your network in addition to your devices, so use that option if it’s available. Also check if your router’s firmware needs an update. Most routers do not update automatically, so you’ll need to check and update it manually. You can usually find the latest version, and information about how to update it, on the manufacturer’s website. Sometimes the install may not work because your router is too old to run the updated firmware. In that case, it’s time to get a new router. Otherwise the vulnerabilities in your outdated firmware can leave you to get hacked all over again. Finally, report the hack to the FBI. We’ve talked about the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as a place to report scams, but you can also report hacks there, too. The FBI probably won’t be able to work on your case individually. But the more reports they get, the more likely they can track and catch the hackers. You can take steps to prevent router hacking in the first place. There are a few common ways that hackers get into your router. If you can stop them from getting in the easy way, it will go a long way towards keeping you protected. The best place to start is with your router’s configuration. Log into your router’s admin panel and set a new, secure admin username and password. This will keep hackers from using the default password or cracking an easy password to get in. Make sure it’s long, strong, random, and not one you’ve used before. Next, disable remote access settings and turn off Wifi Protected Setup (WPS). This lets anyone connect to your wifi with an easy-to-crack PIN or by pressing a button. These will help prevent anyone who isn’t physically in your house from getting into your network. Turn on Wifi Protected Access (WPA), which is a security protocol that secures your network with a high-grade encryption. WPA3 is the best. If your router is older, it may only have WPA2 available. If that’s your only option, WPA2 will work temporarily. But that’s an indication that it’s time to upgrade to a new router that does have WPA3 capabilities. We mentioned updating your router’s firmware before. But if your router is one that doesn’t update automatically, it’s a good idea to set reminders to periodically check for and install firmware updates. By installing updates, you can close up the firmware vulnerabilities that may let hackers in. And while you’re setting reminders, add a reminder to do a routine reboot. Not only is it good for the router to clear the system memory and refresh connections, it resets your public IP address, which is great if a hacker got your IP address . Another thing that’s good to do on a regular basis is review all the devices connected to your network and verify you know what they are. If you find anything suspicious or with a name you don’t recognize, disconnect it and change your wifi password. If it’s actually one of your smart devices, you’ll find out when it stops working properly and you can reconnect it. You can also set up a router firewall, which will protect it from unwanted traffic. Many routers have a firewall built in – you just have to enable it. But if not, there are software and hardware options that can do the same. Another thing you can do to protect your traffic is to use a VPN . With a VPN, even successful router hacking won’t reveal your online traffic to the hacker. Hackers can do a lot of nasty things with your router. They could steal your personal information, install malware, or spy on you. And worse, they can do this on every device that connects to your wifi. If your child’s tablet or your best friend’s phone connects to your wifi, router hacking puts them at risk, too. And if they use your internet connection to commit other crimes, your ISP could cut you off from the internet altogether – or you may get investigated by police who traced a criminal to your router signal. The bad news is that nothing is hacker-proof. No matter how many protections you put in place, a determined hacker will find a way in. But the good news is, most of the time they won’t bother. Most hackers are in it for a quick buck. Every hour they spend trying to get into your router is an hour they’re not making money. So just taking a few basic steps to defend your router will be enough to get most hackers to give up and move on. All the steps above will help defend your router from hackers. Set a secure admin password. Turn on WPA. Update the firmware and set reminders to check for future updates. Enable the firewall. And never be afraid to replace your router when it gets old. Not only are old routers less efficient, they’re less secure against new hacking techniques. By taking just a few simple steps, you can make the majority of hackers give up and leave your router alone. Take action today to secure your personal information, and the personal information of everyone who uses your wifi, from malicious hackers.