You can tell if someone has hacked your router device, which provides your WiFi, if you notice slow internet speed, you’re unable to log into your admin settings, or you receive suspicious activity alerts from your ISP, among other signs.
Continue reading to learn how someone can hack your router and how you can protect your router from getting hacked going forward.
How Do Routers Get Hacked?
There are two ways routers can get hacked – weak admin passwords and software vulnerabilities.
- Weak admin password: Typically routers come with default admin passwords that are easy to guess and remember. These passwords are also written in the router’s manual so that if you have trouble setting it up you can refer back to it. When these admin passwords aren’t changed from their defaults, they become easy for cybercriminals to compromise.
- Software vulnerabilities: Just like any software or hardware, your router should always be up to date. With routers, it’s especially important to make sure the firmware is up to date because if it’s not, it opens up a back door for cybercriminals to hack or infect it with malware.
7 Signs Your Router Is Hacked
Here are seven signs that point to your router being hacked.
1. Slow internet speed
If your internet is slower than usual, it can be due to a variety of reasons such as bad weather, but it can also be due to your router being hacked. It’s best to confirm that your router has been hacked based on other signs like the ones mentioned below.
2. You can’t log in to your router’s admin settings
One of the biggest signs your router has been hacked is the inability to log in to your router’s admin settings when you know you’re entering the username and password correctly. This is because a cybercriminal may have changed your password, preventing you from being able to log in.
When hacking a router, your settings are the first place a cybercriminal will look to compromise because they’ll have the ability to change the settings on your router to anything they want.
3. Your browser keeps redirecting you
Another telling sign that your router is hacked is if you’re constantly being redirected to a different website. For example, you may be trying to go to Google.com, but instead of being directed to Google, your browser keeps taking you somewhere else. Cybercriminals can do this by changing your router’s Domain Name System (DNS) and IP address settings.
These websites that you’re redirected to are often harmful. If you click on something on the website, you run the risk of having your device become infected with malicious software known as malware. Depending on the malware that gets installed on your device, it can do different things like spy on you through your camera and microphone, or track your keystrokes to steal your passwords and personal information.
4. Suspicious activity alerts from your ISP
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has a good idea of how often you use the Internet and what you tend to use it for. If your ISP detects increased or unusual activity, they may send you an alert to notify you of the activity. However, before you believe the alert that is sent from your ISP, make sure it’s legitimate. You can do this by calling your ISP with the number on their official website to verify that they were the ones who contacted you with the suspicious activity alert.
5. Increased pop-ups on your devices
Pop-up advertisem*nts are a normal part of being online, however, an unusual amount of pop-ups are not normal and could mean that your device has been infected with some sort of malware or virus. If you’ve noticed a sudden increase in pop-up advertisem*nts, it could be due to your router being hacked or another type of cyber attack.
6. You notice session hijacking
Another sign that points to your router being hacked is the inability to control your device. This is also known as session hijacking. Session hijacking is a cyber attack where the cybercriminal can gain complete control over a victim’s device. Once a cybercriminal has gained control of the device, they can look through any saved data on it including your most sensitive files. They can then use the data for their own malicious purposes such as selling it on the dark web or demanding a ransom be paid if the victim wants their data back.
7. You notice software or apps you didn’t download on your devices
If your router is hacked, some cybercriminals will use their privileged access to download suspicious software and apps onto your devices. These apps and software contain malware that cybercriminals use to spy on what you’re doing. If you suddenly notice apps or software you didn’t download on your computer and phone, this could mean that your router is hacked.
What To Do if Your WiFi Is Hacked
Here’s what you should do if you discover your WiFi is hacked.
Immediately disconnect your router
The first thing you should do if you suspect your WiFi has been hacked is disconnect the router. This will stop any cyber attacks in progress and prevent the cybercriminal from being able to cause any additional harm to your connected devices.
If you have a standalone router, all you need to do is unplug the ethernet cable. If you have a wireless router, disable the internet connection by switching it off.
Reset your router
We recommend factory resetting your router to clear its memory and get rid of any malicious programs that may have been installed. You can do this by locating your router’s power button and holding it down until a light flashes indicating that it’s resetting (usually 10-20 seconds).
Change your router’s admin password
Once your router is reset, you should change your router’s admin credentials so it’s more difficult for a cybercriminal to compromise it. It’s best to use a password manager when creating your passwords so they are strong and unique for each of your accounts, and they’re always stored securely.
For extra precaution, you should also change the passwords to your other online accounts, as it’s possible that the cybercriminal was able to compromise them as well. A password manager can assist you in changing all of your passwords quickly.
Install antivirus software on your devices
Antivirus software is a program you install on your devices that detects and removes known viruses. It’s likely that while your router was hacked, the cybercriminal may have already installed malware so you’ll want to run an antivirus scan to remove it.
How To Protect Your Router From Getting Hacked
Here are a few tips to protect your router from getting hacked.
Secure your router with a strong password
Because the first place a cybercriminal will target when hacking your router is your admin settings, you must secure it with a strong password. A strong password is at least 16 characters long and contains upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. A strong password is also never reused, so the password for your router should be unique.
Creating and remembering strong passwords for each of your accounts is difficult to do on your own, but a password manager can be a huge help.
Keep your router’s software up to date
Software updates are a crucial part of cybersecurity, especially if you want your devices to remain secure at all times. We recommend enabling your router to perform automatic software updates so that every time there is a new update available, it’s updated right away. It’s best to consult your router’s user guide on how to enable these automatic updates.
Disable remote access
Remote access can be convenient, but also poses a major cybersecurity risk. If the wrong person were to gain remote access to your router, they could misuse the feature for their own malicious purposes such as to gain access to your private information. You can disable remote access by going to your router’s settings.
Create a unique SSID
A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is your WiFi network’s name. Routers come with default SSIDs, but they should always be changed once your router is all set up to something unique. With default SSIDs, cybercriminals can determine your internet service provider, which they can then use to find more information to hack your router.
Invest in a router that supports WPA3 or WPA2
WiFi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) is the most up-to-date wireless encryption protocol; however, not all devices are compatible. Your router should support at least Wifi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) protocol since it offers more powerful encryption than earlier versions of WPA. These security protocols protect your internet traffic on wireless networks to ensure that your sent and received data remains encrypted. If your router does not support WPA2, you should consider upgrading it, as this makes you more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Keep Safe From Router Hacking
Much of our lives are online which is why you must take steps to protect your router from being hacked. Your router can give a cybercriminal access to all of your data and devices which can place you at risk of financial loss or identity theft.
Similar to protecting your router, you also need to make sure your home WiFi network is set up properly.
