US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
FBI Wi-Fi Router Hacked List: 5 Steps to Keep Your Router Safe Now
Microsoft said the campaign hit more than 5,000 consumer devices and 200 organizations, giving Russian intelligence persistent access to traffic.
- On April 7, the FBI conducted a court-authorized operation to neutralize a U.S. network of small office/home office routers compromised by the Russian GRU for espionage. Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, confirmed the agency disrupted the GRU's access to these devices.
- Russian military hackers known as APT28 and Fancy Bear have exploited these routers for DNS hijacking since at least 2024. The GRU manipulated router settings to intercept unencrypted traffic from military, government, and critical infrastructure sectors worldwide.
- Microsoft identified more than 200 organizations and 5,000 consumer devices impacted across over 120 countries. Unsuspecting Americans in at least 23 states owned vulnerable TP-Link routers, which the company noted had reached end-of-service status several years ago.
- The FBI released a public service announcement urging users to replace end-of-support devices and update firmware. "Take the remediation steps outlined in our PSA, because defending our networks requires all of us," Leatherman said, noting rebooting alone will not mitigate this threat.
- Security experts and the NSA recommend enabling automatic updates and using a VPN to protect sensitive data. Maintaining updated firmware remains critical for preventing unauthorized access to banking sites and email services, as hackers can intercept passwords and financial credentials.
Insights by Ground AI
15 Articles
15 Articles
Fox 10 Phoenix+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
FBI offers urgent guidance on securing home routers after disrupting Russian intelligence hacking network
Foreign hackers are looking to exploit vulnerabilities in Americans' internet routers, and the FBI is offering tips for securing your home or office routers.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution84% Center
Bias Distribution
- 84% of the sources are Center
84% Center
C 84%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
