Top 10 insecure router password

• How to change insecure router password

Passwords are a tedious topic, and ESET security specialists have now merged the top 10 unsafe router passwords.

Top 10 most popular weak router passwords

1. Admin
2. Root
3. 1234
4. Guest
5. Password
6. 12345
7. Support
8. Super
9. Admin
10. Pass

Routers are the gatekeepers for the network, but often these important devices only use a password to access the administration interface when protecting against unauthorized access. This can have fatal consequences: Anyone who knows or guesses the password easily gets access to the entire network. Too few users know that the assigned access code for the configuration and the WLAN network plays a key role.

ESET security experts have evaluated the current telemetry data of the ESET network scanner and obtained worrying results: Several thousand of the more than 100,000 scanned devices use standard passwords.  Often these devices are in use for many years without change.

„Even in most cases, users who do not secure administrator access on their routers do not protect their Wi-Fi network with secure passwords. Routers should never be operated with factory-installed or weak passwords. "If possible, the user name should also be customized," explains Michael Schröder, Security Business Strategy Manager DACH at ESET. Common passwords are the first to try out cybercriminals and offer no protection. "Especially Wi-Fi keys and administrator passwords should therefore be assigned individually during the setup."

The Wi-Fi router is the control center of the domestic network and responsible for the Internet supply in your own home. Smart home devices from security cameras and heating systems to locking systems are also controlled and managed via routers. According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, around 30 percent of Germans have already installed a smart home application in their homes. This central role and the rapidly increasing use of such applications makes the router a popular target for cybercriminals. With the often lax handling of password security by users, it is not surprising that attacks increase.

The administration interface and the WLAN network of a router are each protected by a password. Under no circumstances should the password that the manufacturer has supplied with the device be used. A good router password should be at least 8 to 12 characters long. Users should consider a sentence that contains at least one number and is easy to remember. For example: "I prefer to eat pizza with four ingredients and extra cheese! ". If you take the first letter of each word, you get "AleiPm4Z+eK! ".

ESET provides the following tips for a secure router:

Keeping firmware up-to-date: In many cases, updates bring new functions and close security gaps. If possible, automatic updates should be activated in the router’s menu or regularly searched for updates.

Disable remote access: With remote access, users open ports on their device. Although this function brings numerous advantages, hackers also get a further point of attack. Remote access should therefore remain disabled.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 

Modern routers provide the ability to enable 2FA. If settings are changed, they must be verified by another source. This confirmation can be done by pressing a specific button on the device or with the phone.

Change Wi-Fi password:

 The best encryption method is useless if the associated password is easy to guess. In particular, with the standard passwords, which are factory-defined, there is a risk that hackers will automatically test known passwords using special programs.

Switch off WPS-PIN: "Wi-Fi Protected Setup" (WPS) is a standard for the fast setup of an encrypted Wi-Fi network. Users only need a PIN to be read on the device, which should be disabled as it is easy to crack.

Change network names: Users should give their WLAN a new name (SSID). The default network name often includes manufacturer name and device type. Attackers can thus directly check whether there are known vulnerabilities in the router.