Many security problems are caused by using outdated software and hardware. We saw it recently at SEPE with 30-year-old computers and we will continue to see it as long as companies are not forced to provide updates for a long period of time. In the case of the Internet, old routers have many uses, but they are not exactly the safest when it comes to connecting to the network of networks. This is because they have not been updated for years or because they come with non-random passwords by default. Today we know of a study that tells us that millions of people are at risk for using insecure routers.
For some time now, operators are becoming more aware of the need to provide a quality router to customers. This helps to improve the service, the perception of what they are offering and also reduces the number of calls to customer service. However, that all users have the latest router model launched on the market is not cheap and operators tend to “slip the bullet” when dealing with these issues. Some bet on charging the customer for the change to a superior model, something criticized ad nauseam that makes many endure as it is with their outdated model.
Risks of using an insecure router
Although it is a study carried out in the United Kingdom among more than 6000 people , the truth is that it can be extrapolated to Spain and other countries. Without going any further, among the operators in that country we find subsidiaries of Telefónica or Vodafone. The survey found that a vast majority of users had a router that was more than 5 years old that was no longer receiving security updates from the manufacturer.
Those models were listed and sent to security experts at Red Maple Technologies who concluded that up to 7.5 million Britons could be using these outdated and unsecured models. In fact, they explain that some models have not been updated since 2018 and that we even have cases of routers without new firmware since 2016.
The problem is that routers are a vital part of Internet connections , being the “gateway” to the network of networks in our homes and businesses. An outdated firmware can lead to data theft, virus infection of the home network, and a host of other problems that we can already imagine. Also, many older models used weak passwords that anyone can guess just by knowing the model.