Usually when someone says “The FBI wants you to …” I think “Yeah, and that Nigerian Prince is giving me $1 million too”, but this time you really should listen.
Malware is now being targeted at your router.
“Foreign Cyber Actors Target Home and Office Routers and Networked Devices Worldwide”
Routers are the small box, with lots of blinking lights, that connects you to the internet. They have many names (eg: ADSL Modem, Cable Modem, WiFi Router) and take many forms. They are usually small boxes, sometimes with antennas, often white or blank. Usually consumers just plug them in, the router starts, it works, and that’s the last anyone thinks about them.
Unfortunately the default factory settings are only intended for easy installation and setup. The settings are meant to be changed to something more secure as part of the setup, though most people don’t do that.
Changing the routers admin password from the default (which is often ‘password’) is an essential part of setting up your router. These are the instructions for Netgear routers.
How do I change the admin password on my NETGEAR router?