Russian Fancy Bear compromised thousands of MikroTik and TP-Link routers
A well-known Russian hacking group called Fancy Bear has broken into thousands of home and small business routers around the world, targeting MikroTik and TP-Link devices.
By taking advantage of outdated software, they secretly redirected internet traffic and grabbed users' passwords.
Many owners had no idea it was happening.
At least 18,000 routers compromised worldwide
This attack hit at least 18,000 victims across around 120 countries, including government offices and email providers.
Microsoft found more than 200 organizations and 5,000 personal devices were compromised (even three government agencies in Africa weren't spared).
Thankfully, a team including the FBI and Lumen Technologies has stepped in to shut down some of Fancy Bear's tools.
The big takeaway? It's a good reminder to update your router's software as soon as possible.