FBI warns consumers about Russian malware on router

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The FBI publicly warns consumers that their router may be infected with malware by Russian hackers and recommends taking action. The warning comes after a malware server was previously taken offline by the FBI.

That reports Reuters news agency. US authorities are warning that Russian hackers from the Fancy Bear group, believed to be linked to the Russian government, hacked into hundreds of thousands of consumer and business routers and infiltrated them with malware. Users are recommended to turn their router off and on, change the admin password, and install software updates.

Earlier this week, it emerged that the FBI had taken offline a malware server used by hackers to communicate with infected routers. The authorities have investigated and based on that released a list of brands of routers that have been infected.

It now appears that the suspected Russian hackers have infected devices in about 50 countries. Due to the malware, the hackers could, among other things, see the network traffic or disrupt the functioning of the router.

Router maker Cisco previously warned about the hack and has shared its findings with the US government, among others. The Ukrainian security services have also made allegations against Russia. According to Cisco, Russia would have plans to use the infected routers for an attack in Ukraine, probably around the time of the Champions League final to be played on Saturday night. In a response, the Russian government has denied having plans for a hacking attack.

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