The FBI released a statement Friday advising people who own internet routers to reset them to avoid Russian malware.
The FBI said hundreds of thousands of people’s routers may be infiltrated by VPNFilter, a Russian malware that can affect how well your router works and spy on information that is sent over the router.
“VPNFilter is able to render small office and home office routers inoperable. The malware can potentially also collect information passing through the router. Detection and analysis of the malware’s network activity is complicated by its use of encryption and misattributable networks,” the FBI statement said.
The FBI suggested rebooting your router completely. Just unplug the router and leave it that way for 10 seconds before you plug it back in, Inc. reported.
As The New York Times reported, the Sofacy Group, which previously hacked the Democratic National Committee before the 2016 presidential election, is spreading the malware. That same group is believed to be controlled by the Russian military intelligence agency.
The Justice Department recently received a court order that allowed it to take possession of a specific domain that the malware used to take control of routers.
The DOJ’s seizure will likely stop the Russian malware from reinstalling itself on your router.
According to Inc., an analysis of Cisco’s threat intelligence group found that the VPNFilter might have infiltrated more than 500,000 routers around the world.
Inc. recommended some more tips to help with the reboot:
Update your router’s firmware, which will help it be up-to-date.
Strengthen your router’s password and enable encryption on all of your devices.
Turn off any remote management capabilities with your router.
The FBI is recommending you reboot your internet router