- Router hijacking or DNS hijacking: most among you will ask what router hijacking is or what the relation between routers and cybercrimes is. Let’s first identify what a router is, a router is a device that rout you to the website that you asked your website to show to you. How it’s done? It’s all done by a protocol called DNS(Domain name system), the DNS translate the human language into computer numeric language, for example you need to access to www.google.com, router don’t know what google is so the DNS will translate this name into numeric IP address that the router could understand.
The question now, what is the relation between router and cybercrimes? Every router comes with administrative login credentials, and with common routers (e.g. TP-Link, D-Link, TOTO Links, etc.) the administrative login can be search through internet and they are will know. On the other hand most users do not change their router administrative password and leave it to the default. So if the malefactor could join to the network will be able easily to access to the router sitting and change the DNS sittings, and when the victim tries to access to interested website the the hijacker want him to log in the DNS will redirect the victim into a mimic website (e.g. bank website, free email account, PayPal account, UBER, etc..) to an original website, and then once the victim enters his credentials they will be provided to the hijacker in a plate of gold.
How you can protect yourself? You need to do:
- Change your router administrative credentials in regular base.
- Update your router to the latest firmware provided from the prodder company, some of these routers may need to be update it manually so check for updates. Some of these updates will have a fix for some vulnerability issues.
- When you access to a website look if it’s considers secure by noticing the start of the link ( https:// ). Always try to click in more that side of the website, it’s almost impossible for the malefactors to create an imitated website as the original.
For you to protect yourself by choosing the right router from such well known branded such as Cisco as it know number one worldwide in providing security appliance.
At the end we all need to be protected well by choosing a full- featured security solution that bring relief to mind such as Kaspersky as they have many solution for individual and corporate such as endpoint security for business.
