Some researchers, from Nationwide Building Society, decided to conduct a study to see the ways in which hackers try to gain access to victims' personal data.
Researchers found that 17% of people who participated in the survey (over 2,000 people) do not believe that hackers can use their routers to spy on them and steal information.
Nearly half of consumers (47%) don't change the password when they buy a router. Of those who have changed the password, 32% admit they didn't do it right after purchasing the router. They used the default password for a while.
An incorrect password can put users' personal data . Hackers have developed many methods to crack weak or common passwords.
39% of respondents said the reason they haven't changed their router password is that they don't know how to do it. But a huge percentage (47%) of those who have changed it use very simple and common passwords that can be easily predicted and therefore cracked. Things get worse when someone uses the same password for many different services.
Researchers recommend that users use difficult passwords and change them after a period of time to be sure they are more secure.
People may not believe that hackers can use their router to harm them, but in reality, hackers can do a lot of things if they gain access. They can redirect the user to malicious sites or make them download malware, destroy the router, and even use a router to attack others, thus hiding their tracks.
Meanwhile, there are many people who use public Wi-Fi to connect to the internet, putting their data at risk, since public Wi-Fi can be more easily compromised by hackers.
About 23% of respondents said they have banked online or used banking apps while connected to public Wi-Fi. This may have put their financial data at risk. According to the survey, most of those who did this (38%) were aged 25-34.
Also, many people access their emails while on a public network (56% of participants). Hackers can use information they get from emails to scam the user. For example, if they know someone needs to make a payment, the hackers can trick them into taking the money themselves.
Routers play a critical role in the security of our data. If we don't take this into account, we can seriously jeopardize personal information and financial data.
Many times we are forced to use a public network to do an urgent job, but this is even more dangerous. Hackers are always on the alert and waiting for the wrong move.
Data protection tips
- Change the router password : The default password is not random. That is why it is necessary to change it and use a more difficult and complex password.
- Regularly run firmware patches: Router updates are just as important as computer updates. We need to update to protect ourselves from new threats.
- Avoid using sensitive information when connecting to public Wi-Fi: Hackers can easily compromise public networks, so we should not enter personal or financial data when connecting to them. Where possible, it is a good idea to use a VPN.
