Industry News Home More stories like this... RSS Feed

New worm targets home routers

Internet security researchers have issued a warning of a new online threat that targets home computer networks by infecting routers and home modems with malware.

DroneBL has revealed that the malicious online security threat dubbed the "psyb0t" worm is particularly potent due to the fact that it targets the devices, which run around the clock.

According to the researchers, this is the first kind of malware specifically targeting routers and modems and so far it has hit an estimated 100,000 systems.

Distributed denial of service attacks otherwise known as DDOS have also already been carried out using the malware, the researchers stated.

The researchers warned that some 90 per cent of the routers and modems that have been hit by the malware were made vulnerable as a result of "user-error", highlighting the importance of strong usernames and passwords.

According to APC magazine, the worm may not pose any more danger as its botnet capability has been pacified.

PC Tools Internet Security is a complete security solution which protects PCs and laptops from online threats like hackers, spam, rootkits, Trojans, viruses and spyware. Visit www.pctools.com to upgrade your protection