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Many people underestimate quite how dangerous having an old router can be, as while it might appear to be a simple device, certain features could leave you vulnerable to cyber attacks that infiltrate all of your gadgets.
Routers are something that pretty much everyone has in their home, yet unless you're wanting to access significantly higher speeds or increase your Wi-Fi connection strength, it's not something you really think about.
That's certainly the case when it comes to upgrading, as most people wouldn't see the point in swapping out their existing router for a new device if it does the same thing, yet you might want to consider the possibility thanks to a new urgent warning from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
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As shared by SlashGear, the FBI's new warning highlights a number of older router models from one particular manufacturer that have an existing vulnerability, making them a prime target for cybercriminals and hackers.
The danger surrounds a feature known as 'remote administration' within many of the affected routers, allowing each device to be configured over the internet without needing the be physically with the device itself.
While this is convenient for the user, allowing them freedom of customization wherever they are, it opens up a potential back door for hackers once vulnerabilities are identified where malware is uploaded to an unwitting individual's network.
Once this malware is installed, cybercriminals can use your internet service as their own proxy network, allowing them to conceal their own activity online or rent it out to others — most likely doing things that you wouldn't want associated with your internet connection.
Issues and attacks relating to routers or networks are notoriously difficult to identify because they're not typically scannable on a hardware level, so your best defense against these risks is to replace your router if you own one of the identified models.
Here are all of the models that the FBI has warned people to replace:
Investing in any newer model with up-to-date security software will be a wise choice, although you might want to consider an upgrade regardless as you could be paying for speeds that you're not currently getting.
Additionally, you might want to consider disabling remote administration on any new model that you pick up if you're not using it yourself, as that shuts off the primary avenue that hackers use to infect your devices.
