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If you’re like most people, you don’t think much about your personality Wi-Fi router. It’s probably sitting in a dusty corner of your house right now, only to be consulted when you have a problem.
But neglecting your router comes at a high price. this year, Russian intelligence hackers APT28 exploited abandoned home routers in 23 US states to build a shadow network, intercept network traffic, and steal credentials. This coordinated attack confirms that your “set it and forget it” devices are the primary target.
This is because your home Wi-Fi router It manages (and sees) every piece of data Entering or leaving your home. “It plays a crucial role in what you allow the outside world to understand,” he says. Stephen Boyceprofessor of cybersecurity at Duke University and CEO and president of The Cyber Doctor. “It’s really the gateway for incoming data, as well as outgoing data.”
This means that your router is crucial to you Online privacy (Who can see your data) and protection (Remove bad actors).
Here’s what you need to know about this often overlooked piece of hardware — and how you can turn it into an ally in your online privacy strategy.
Your Wi-Fi router acts as one important gateway for all your data, managing the connection between the Internet and every device on your home network, from laptops and mobile phones to tablets and desktop computers.
What your router knows about you
So, what exactly does your router see and understand about your internet activity? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. Here’s the breakdown.
Device fingerprint: The router keeps track of every device that is currently on (or has been on) its network. This includes everything from Phones and Computers To smart refrigerators and Baby monitors. Your router may also be able to detect these device types and deal with them accordingly.
Traffic metadata: Even if your traffic is encrypted (using HTTPS), your router will still collect some metadata. For example, when a device is online, the router can determine how long it has been online and how much data it is using.
Contact logs: Timestamps of your devices’ connectivity can help your router understand what time you’re home, when you wake up, how much time you spend online, and, in general, your overall data patterns.
Almost all modern routers have a mobile app that allows you to view and control devices connected to your network.
Hidden dangers: Who wants your router data?
Well, your router knows a little about you. But who else might see all this data?
Internet service providers: These companies can see a lot. ISPs use the data your router collects for two reasons, according to Boyce: first, to comply with the law and detect any illegal activities; Secondly, for commercial reasons of selling anonymized user data to advertisers. “ISPs have a lot of great data that can be leveraged — or abused,” Boyce says.
Hardware manufacturers: Your router manufacturer also has some “telemetry,” or the ability to see and measure your Internet traffic. This primarily enables device manufacturers to provide firmware updates and Troubleshoot connection issuesaccording to Boyce.
Third party applications: Most modern Wi-Fi routers include mobile applications for setting up and managing the connection. These applications need to access and use data from your router to function properly.
Common privacy vulnerabilities
The amount of data your router manages, along with the many parties that can see it, pose real privacy risks. Here are some of the most common vulnerabilities.
UPnP or Universal Plug and Play: This popular router feature allows devices to quickly connect to your network and communicate with other devices on it. This is convenient, especially if you want to connect some of them together easily Smart home appliances. But allowing this automatic connection also creates “holes” in your privacy wall, because any connected device can see any other connected device.
WPS or Wi-Fi Protected Setup: This router feature allows you to automatically connect devices without a password using an easy pairing button. Like anything that makes communication easier for you, it can also make communication easier for bad actors.
Old encryption: The world of routers is shifting away from the legacy Wi-Fi security protocol, WPA2, towards the improved WPA3. If your router is more than five years old, it may not support WPA3 — leaving you more vulnerable to the older standard that can be more easily bypassed.
DNS Leaks: when Use a VPNAll your Address Book requests (i.e. your requests to visit certain websites) are encrypted. But sometimes, a low-quality or incorrectly configured VPN can “leak” this data, allowing your router and ISP to see your browsing history.
A DNS leak test can show how your ISP can still see your requests, even when using a VPN.
How to improve your router privacy
Don’t be discouraged by all the potential privacy risks of your internet router. There are plenty of ways you can enhance the security of your data portal.
Change default credentials: Boyce recommends changing the default Wi-Fi password immediately with new, strong login credentials. This is one of the most common ways hackers gain access to your router, and it has been used in many ways High-level attacks Over the past few years.
Keep your firmware updated: Like any software, routers will eventually have vulnerabilities that hackers seek to exploit. The best tool router manufacturers have to combat this is to release security patches through them Firmware updates. Many routers install these updates automatically, but you can also download the latest updates by logging into your router through the manufacturer’s web interface or app.
Consider a third-party router: You can Buy your own router Instead of renting one from your home Internet provider. Renting a router from an ISP gives ISPs more power to use the router’s data (especially when the customer turns the devices over later), Boyce says.
Guest networks: If you have a lot of smart home devices, it’s a good idea to create a second “guest” Wi-Fi network that you only use for devices like light bulbs or smart speakers. This means that your computer and phone will be connected to your primary network, while other devices will be on the guest network. That way, if a bad actor tries to take advantage of a smart device to wreak havoc on your network, they won’t be able to access your computers or phones.
Dedicated DNS providers: Your ability to easily browse the Internet depends on domain name services, which translate domain names like “CNET.com” into digital codes that can be read by servers. Your router usually uses DNS servers provided by your Internet service provider. But these can be slow and weak. Switch to a privacy-focused provider e.g Cloudflare or NextDNS It can improve your security and internet speeds.
Router-level VPN: It is also possible that Install a virtual private network At the router level, meaning it will apply to every device on your network. This is great because it provides “always-on” protection for your entire home, including smart home devices that would otherwise be impossible to protect with a VPN. The downside, of course, is that a VPN can slow down your internet speed a bit.
Advanced Privacy: Open source firmware
For more advanced protection, you have the option of installing custom firmware (basically the operating system) on your internet router. DD-WRT or OpenWrt, for example, are types of open source firmware that can provide better security and performance.
benefits: Custom firmware overrides manufacturer features that may pose security risks and can be updated frequently to provide optimal protection. It can also give you more granular control over your data.
Risks: There’s a technical learning curve to installing open source firmware on your router, and doing so incorrectly can risk “jailbreaking” your device — rendering it completely unusable.
The router privacy myth: Set it and forget it
An internet router is not something you can ignore if you want to ensure your online privacy.
“The misconception is that routers don’t require sharing,” Boyce says.
In fact, online privacy is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup. Boyce says you should definitely take basic steps up front (like changing your login credentials and considering a VPN), but you also need to revisit your router every now and then.
With Wi-Fi technology changing so quickly, Boyce recommends upgrading your router every 12 to 18 months to enhance security. If you never change your router, it will become less secure over time. “It’s very different from A Lock the front door“Boyce says.
