According to Telia, routers that are more than five years old pose a security risk because they do not necessarily have the latest updates.
In its annual security review, the Protection Police highlighted the national information security threat posed by unupdated home routers. In its announcement, Telia estimates that there are currently several hundreds of thousands of risky routers in Finnish homes.
– Routers that are more than five years old pose the greatest risk, as security updates may no longer be available for them. Several hundreds of thousands of such routers can be found in Finnish homes, says Telia’s head of equipment business Markku Saranpää says in the announcement.
According to Saranpää, Finns have more than three million fixed wireless routers in use. For example, newer routers purchased from operators are updated automatically.
– In addition to routers, our digital security is built on smart devices, network security and people’s care in using them. So everyone can influence not only the security of their own digital life, but also the national information security of Finland as a whole.
Saranpää emphasizes the importance of protecting other devices connected to the network.
– Today, we handle shopping, health services, banking and other important things online. This places an even greater importance on the security of the devices. All devices used to handle these important matters should be protected with reliable information security software, says Saranpää.
Telia’s tips
1. Security software for use
The security software protects the user’s computer, tablet and smartphone. The application identifies malware and blocks access to sites identified as harmful.
2. Updating and protecting the router used by the customer
In older devices, updates may not be installed automatically, so the user must take care of the updates themselves. In addition, the wireless Wi-Fi network must always be protected with a password, so that an outside party cannot use the personal information of the owner of the connection, i.e. the IP address. The Protection Police recommends Finns to get their routers from telecom operators.
3. Updating the terminal’s operating system and applications
A computer, tablet or smartphone receives regular system updates from the device manufacturer. These updates generally include improvements to the use of the device as well as very important security updates against vulnerabilities.
4.Using strong passwords and multi-step authentication
Set unique passwords for all online services and take advantage of multi-step authentication. Online services are constantly hacked, and criminals get hold of usernames. Using the same identifiers brings a big data security risk.
5.Behave carefully online
Despite all security measures or applications, the user must always be vigilant online. Nowadays, various online scams have become more common and more challenging, partly due to the development of artificial intelligence.
Source: Telia
Nowadays, many things are done online. Therefore, the data security of all devices connected to the network should be taken care of. Mostphotos