Did You Know 79% of Home WiFi Networks Have Weak Passwords that Put Their Security at Risk?

Many of the username and password combinations are even worse than name or address, being something like admin/admin or admin/password. Having a password so weak puts you at an incredibly high risk of being hacked and having your personal information stolen.

“Unsecured routers create an easy entry point for hackers to attack millions of American home networks,” Avast CEO Vince Steckler said. “Our research revealed that the vast majority of home routers in the US aren’t secure. If a router is not properly secured, cybercriminals can easily gain access to an individual’s personal information, including financial information, user names and passwords, photos, and browsing history.”

Once hackers gain access through your router, they can trick users to visit websites that are similar to what they’re trying to find but actually contain malicious software. This malware can be used to steal log-in information to other websites, which could include bank accounts and sensitive files.

”Today’s router security situation is very reminiscent of PCs in the 1990s, with lax attitudes towards security combined with new vulnerabilities being discovered every day creating an easily exploitable environment,” said Steckler. “The main difference is people have much more personal information stored on their devices today than they did back then. Consumers need strong yet simple-to-use tools that can prevent attacks before they happen.”

There’s a lesson to be learned here, folks. Don’t use a password that can found as basic information on one of your public social media pages. Use something only you would know, and throw some numbers and special characters in there for good measure. If you don’t use a strong password, you could very well end up paying for it in a big way.

If you want to hear more about how to protect your personal information, contact us at (800) 478-8105 or send us an email at [email protected]. Remote Technology Services will be happy to help you protect your identity online.