The Russian-linked cyber-attack that infected many small home and office routers with malware (‘VPNFilter’) within the past week has been interrupted by the FBI. The FBI’s recommendation is that you reboot your router. Doing so can delete a portion of the malware, if in fact your router has been affected. Since there is no easy way to determine whether or not your router was a part of the attack, we recommend that all internet users reboot their routers, whether you lease a router from Citizens Fiber or use your own equipment. We don’t have any reason to believe that our equipment has been compromised, but it’s always better to be safe.
As an additional precaution, if you own your router and currently utilize the default password that came with the setup instructions, we recommend changing the password, keeping in mind that a secure password includes letters, numbers, special characters, and is at least 8 characters in length.
As a third safety measure, we recommend that you update to the latest firmware for your router. This process varies across different manufacturers. The best way to ensure this process is done correctly is to contact the manufacturer.
Citizens Fiber continually updates the firmware on the routers we lease to customers. If you wish to take the hassle out of your hands, rent a router from Citizens. As an added benefit, our routers include Managed Wi-fi, which allows us to optimize your wireless internet experience throughout your home.
If you have further concerns or wish to rent a router, call us at 724-423-5777.