WI-FI users have been warned about a sophisticated attack on their routers that can leave their personal data vulnerable.
Like most other pieces of technology, Wi-Fi routers are also subject to hacking.
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One critical way a threat actor can hack your Wi-Fi router is via remote access.
WHAT IS REMOTE ACCESS?
Remote access hacking happens when scammers and hackers break into vulnerable servers, devices, and networks.
By doing so, they gain access to your devices and can start stealing your information.
One key indicator of this is that you cannot control your device and notice your mouse cursor moving on its own.
This is a scary scenario because a user may feel completely helpless as they watch their bank account or other personal files get accessed.
However, that’s not the only sign that indicates a hacker has gotten remote access to a router – you can also check IP addresses.
By looking at your router’s web interface, you can manually sift through a list of devices connected to your home or office network.
The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi interface offers users a network map — simply click on a device to see its IP address.
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When you look at the map, you may notice that all local devices are a derivative of your router’s private IP address.
For example, if your router’s address is 172.178.1.1, then all device addresses should begin with 172.178.1.
But if you notice that a device doesn’t have an address that matches the first three numbers of your router, then it’s likely remote.
WHAT TO DO
Thankfully, Wi-Fi hacking isn’t as common as ransomware or other types of hacking attacks, but it can still be dangerous.
If you do find yourself a victim of a remote access attack, there are some things you can do.
First, you will want to take immediate action and unplug your devices – and also disconnect your router from your modem.
After you’ve done that, you should factory reset your router and change your Wi-Fi password.
It’s also very important that you disable remote administration to keep hackers from gaining access to your computer again.
