FBI: Cyber Actors Targeting Home, Office Routers

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Foreign hackers are targeting home and office routers, according to the FBI, which is recommending these devices be rebooted.

Foreign cyber actors are using VPNFilter malware to target small office and home routers, compromising thousands of devices and their networks. The malware could possibly collect information, exploit devices and block network traffic, the FBI said in an alert issued Friday.

FBI officials say routers should be rebooted to temporarily disrupt the malware and help in the potential identification of infected devices.

Owners were advised to also consider disabling remote management settings, reset passwords using strong passwords, enable encryption, and upgrade routers and networked devices to the latest available firmware.