These common mistakes are leaving your broadband router open to attack

When was the last time you changed settings on your home broadband router?

If the answer is ‘never’, you’re not alone.

Research published in the autumn by antivirus experts McAfee suggested that almost half of UK internet users never change any of their default broadband router security settings.

And if you’re now thinking ‘my router has settings?’, again, you’re far from alone.

ISPs market their services as simple and foolproof, right down to the reassuringly concise setup instructions supplied with many routers.

However, that doesn’t absolve consumers from any responsibilities of their own.

Below, we consider some common mistakes in terms of domestic internet safety, with recommendations to optimise broadband router security.

1. WiFi passwords

The issue: Home broadband routers are supplied with generic WiFi passwords printed on the router and accompanying literature, pre-programmed at the factory.

The risk: If the router has a password on show, any visitors could take a note of it. Some may be a few uppercase letters, which a password-cracking algorithm could easily guess.

The solution: Change your router’s password to something longer and more personally memorable, ideally containing a blend of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers.

2. Administrator credentials

The issue: As well as WiFi passwords, routers also have admin passwords that permit users to adjust settings. On older devices, these may be as simple as ‘12345’ or ‘admin’.

The risk: Although router manufacturers are now banned from setting basic passwords, hackers could easily crack old or short codes, locking users out of their own network.

The solution: As soon as a new router arrives, change the admin password to something different from the WiFi password and write it down in a diary – not a file on a web-enabled device.

3. External WiFi coverage

The issue: Wireless routers distribute data in a spherical radius. Placing a router beside a front door or window extends that sphere to neighbouring homes and passing traffic.

The risk: A hacker with a laptop and a password-cracking algorithm could sit outside your home, quietly attempting to spy on web traffic or compromising your network.

The solution: Position routers centrally within the home, ideally biasing coverage towards private rear grounds ahead of pavements and passers-by at the front.

4. Outdated firmware

The issue: Like all electronic devices, routers have software governing their actions, known as firmware. This should be – but often isn’t – updated by restarting the device.

The risk: Some routers leave the factory with safety flaws while others develop weaknesses over time. If firmware isn’t patched (updated to address these flaws), they may cause vulnerabilities.

The solution: Restarting your router periodically helps to ensure the latest firmware is updated. It also improves the device’s performance and reliability.

Other risks of not optimising broadband router security

A compromised broadband router could be co-opted into a botnet (a network of compromised devices or networks) and used for cybercrime like DDoS attacks.

A high-performance router might even be turned into a command-and-control server, which establishes it as the nerve centre for internet-wide malware assaults and cyberattacks.

Routers act as a gateway to every device on your home WiFi network, so criminals breaking into a router could spy on sensitive data, steal personal information or implant malware.

If your home broadband router has been in active service for several years, it could be vulnerable to attack, so request a replacement from your ISP.

Alternatively, if you use an Openreach broadband connection, investing in a third-party router may significantly increase WiFi coverage and performance.