Home router locked, key left in door

It seems basic, but lots of folks never change the default password on their home routers. If you're reading this and you don't know if you changed your default password, LOG IN TO YOUR ROUTER AND CHANGE IT NOW. 

There is lots of focus on getting home network users to secure their wireless connections, but probably not enough on simply securing the router itself. And now the bad guys are targeting home routers in the payloads of their malware.  Indiana University and Symantec have published a paper describing attacks on home routers executing from malicious web sites using JavaScript. 

The default password for home routers is often blank or "admin" - easy to guess.  If the number of users who turn off updates of their anti-virus software is any indication, the number of users who fail to change their default router passwords are probably quite large.

Did I mention you should change the default password on your home router?  It should be the very next step you do after you turn the router on for the first time.  I say, after you buy a house, you of course have the locks changed, right?  Right?

-AllenN

Comments

[UK Software companies]

Nice post,

Is it a good idea to change your password like bi -monthly?

Thanks for writing, most people don't bother.