If there was ever a time to beef up your computer’s security at home, now would be it. This is because if the reports are to be believed, Russia has apparently been hacking routers in homes around the world. This is according to a joint announcement by both the US and UK intelligence agencies.According to the British intelligence, the National Security Council (NSC), the DHS and the FBI, they have accused Russia of trying to compromise routers for the past few months in a bid to hijack the internet’s infrastructure. It has also been suggested that compromised hardware might not only allow hackers to gain access to user information, but it could also be used as a foundation for future attacks.
So far the report has warned that the main targets have been ISPs, government departments, big companies, and also firms involved in running “critical infrastructure”. No word on how many devices might have already been compromised or which companies could have already been affected.
In a statement made by a spokesperson at the Russian Embassy in London, “We consider these accusations and speculations as striking examples of a reckless, provocative and unfounded policy against Russia. We are disappointed by the fact that such serious claims have been made publicly, without any proof being presented and without any attempt by the United Kingdom to clarify the situation with the Russian side in the first place.”
They add, “Russia is not planning to conduct any cyber attacks against the United Kingdom. We expect the British government to declare the same.”