This Router Configuration Option Can Be Dangerous

In my February 20th post, “Omit This Setup Step and Your Router Can Be Easily Compromised,” I stressed the importance of changing the default router password. I forgot to mention in that article another configuration option that can be dangerous, even if you’ve changed the default password: Remote management. While I’ve never seen this feature enabled by default, it’s better to err on the side of paranoia and make certain it isn’t enabled on your router.

Obviously, this would be a serious problem if you haven’t changed the default password; it’s less of a concern if you have, but passwords can be cracked and if someone decides to target you, it’s not a good idea to have your router’s login visible to them. If you absolutely must have remote management available to you (why?), then it’s imperative that when you change the default login password, you use an unguessable and virtually uncrackable one.