Millions around the UK could be at risk of using routers with security flaws, a Which? investigation has found.
In December 2020, Which? conducted a survey of more than 6,000 UK adults, asking them which routers they’re using at home. They found millions could be using devices more than five years old that are no longer being supported with firmware updates.
Which? sent a selection of the most commonly used old devices to security specialists, Red Maple Technologies, to find out just how secure they are, and discovered issues with more than half, from ISPs such as Virgin, Sky, TalkTalk, EE and Vodafone.
This could potentially affect up to 7.5 million Brits based on their survey.
Some of these models haven’t seen an update since 2018 at the latest, and some haven’t been updated since as far back as 2016, which could affect six million of these users. Without firmware and security updates, there’s no guarantee that security issues will be fixed.
Routers might sit in the corner of the room collecting dust, but they’re a vital part of everyday life. Especially as we now need the internet more than ever to work, shop and stay in touch with loved ones. Read on to find out if you’re affected and what to do next.
Source: Visit Which? to find out if your router is unsafe visit.
