So, the real question is, can a wifi router get a virus?
A wifi router can get a virus. A wifi router just like any other electronic/software-based device can catch a virus if we are not taking precautions while using it and the devices associated with it.
In this article, we will understand step by step how a router can get a virus and what precautions should we take to defend ourselves against any malfunctioning
How can a wifi router get a virus?
When we need to use the internet, we connect our devices to a wifi router which has nomenclatures such as IP address, firmware, etc. A wifi router acts as a medium for handling data over the internet. When any type of malware enters our devices like mobile phones, tablets or PC, what happens is that a hacker who has bad intent can change the settings of the wifi router by getting access to your wifi router’s login screen on any of your virus-affected devices.
What are the vulnerabilities when your wifi router is hacked?
When a hacker changes the settings to sabotage your security, he/she can access data on your device, check your day-to-day routine activities, make you download any more serious viruses, and blackmail you by getting ss of photos of your loved ones, and whatnot.
In terms of technical language, phishing is an activity by which a person(in our example, a hacker)can create a very authentic-looking platform where you will be redirected unknowingly and make you download an application or any type of program that is going to harm your device data and he/she can get access to all your files like your bank details, government id details, etc.
Another dangerous thing is to change the DNS address of the links you surf on.DNS address is the address that you see in the window tab where you type the URL. By changing a DNS address, a hacker can make you think that you are handling a correct website but it might be a duplicate and lookalike of the web address that you usually operate. In the worst case, he/she can fetch your card details, CVV, and card expiry date by trapping you on a website that looks exactly like your payment gateway but it is a fake site made intentionally by the hacker.
What are the signs to look for to know if your wifi router is hacked or not?
If you have any of the below-mentioned signals occurring often while you are being connected to a data, then it might be a red flag in the sense that your device might be already hacked:
*Different browser toolbars.
*Unusual pop-up windows.
*Slowed down the device.
*Suddenly switch off your device.
*The lock icon that is present on your URL bar is not visible.
*You get unusual warnings.
What to do if your device has these symptoms?
The first and foremost thing is to temporarily stop connecting your devices to that network and not initiate any type of work that you feel is not safe while you are on the internet.
Following are the things that we can do now:
Many of the router service providers provide a feature of router scan. We can use this feature to check if there are any type of security breaches in our wifi router system. If the scan gives a positive result regarding the virus being present in the router then we will have to take the next measures that we will discuss in the next part.
Check the DNS settings on our device so that we will get to know if it is set to manual and is causing the wifi router to get web addresses manually. This also tells us that our device is not able to fetch the correct address automatically.
What to do if your device has a virus?
After checking for the red flags that we mentioned above, we can arrive at a result of whether our system is being malfunctioned by a virus or not. If we found that our router has a virus then we will proceed to the next below-mentioned steps:
*Reset your wifi router settings by pressing a switched off key/factory reset key for 30 seconds, delete all the previous settings of our router and set the router device to its default settings.
*Download the latest firmware upgrade on your wifi router with the help of a service provider.
*Update your login credentials and security pin/password and keep it to yourself.
*After updating the above steps, turn off remote access settings which ensure that none other than your permission, nobody can change your router settings manually.
By using these steps we can reset our device settings and ensure our safety on the internet.
Thank you.
