PSA: Stop using "password123" for your home router admin panel

I helped my neighbor set up his home network last Tuesday and I was shocked at what I saw. He had a brand new TP-Link router but his admin password was still set to "admin" with no login required. Three years ago I got hacked through a similar setup where someone changed my DNS settings to redirect me to fake banking sites. It took me weeks to undo the damage and I lost access to two accounts before I caught it. That neighbor's router had been broadcasting for 6 months with zero security on the admin side. I showed him how to change it in 2 minutes and he had no idea that was even a thing. Has anyone else found routers in their family or friends' homes with the default passwords still active?

2 comments

2 Comments

troy_owens5d ago

Nah, I'm gonna push back on this. Default passwords are fine for 99% of people. My dad's had his router on "admin/admin" for like 8 years and never had a single issue. You're only gonna get hacked if you're clicking on weird links or giving out your WiFi password to strangers. The real threat is people falling for phishing emails, not someone sitting in a van trying default router passwords. I say let people keep their defaults. Less headache for everyone when you need to factory reset.

hugo_gonzalez685d ago

Not clicking weird links" doesn't protect you from a hacked router.