US Warns of Russia State Hackers Targeting Home and Small Office Routers

The federal government is warning users of home and small office routers to secure their devices as Russia state hackers continue to mass-compromise them for use in obscuring nefarious actions against sensitive organizations in the public and private sectors. Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered. The US government has occasionally issued covert commands and taken other steps to disinfect routers.

Google and other companies have also worked to disrupt the massive botnets that control compromised routers in lockstep. The actions to date are little more than whack-a-mole exercises as the operators simply replace their botnets with new ones. "Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Center 16 cyber actors continue to exploit poorly configured and vulnerable networking devices worldwide, opportunistically compromising multiple critical infrastructure sector networks," the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Monday.

The hacking groups are tracked under various names, including Berserk Bear, Energetic Bear, Crouching Yeti, Dragonfly, Ghost Blizzard, and Static Tundra. The advisory was co-issued by governments from around the world, including Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the UK. Why this matters: The warning from the US government highlights the ongoing threat posed by state-sponsored hackers, particularly those affiliated with Russia's Federal Security Service.

The mass-compromise of home and small office routers not only puts individual users at risk but also has broader implications for the security of critical infrastructure and sensitive organizations across various sectors. As hackers continue to evolve their tactics, it is imperative for users to take proactive measures to secure their devices, such as changing default passwords and keeping software up to date. Developers and businesses must also prioritize device security and provide users with easy-to-use tools to protect themselves.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of these efforts will depend on continued collaboration between governments, companies, and individuals to disrupt and dismantle these malicious networks.