FBI Reports Hacking of Hundreds of Thousands of Routers Worldwide

The FBI announced that hackers have infiltrated hundreds of thousands of routers in various countries, potentially stealing user data or disrupting network traffic. In a statement released on Friday, June 4, hackers were referred to as 'foreign cyber actors,' but international news agencies have attributed the recent attack to Russian hackers. According to the FBI's statement, hackers can take control of routers by sending malware called VPNFilter, allowing them to steal information or disrupt network traffic. The statement urged small business or home router owners to reboot their modems and install necessary updates. News agencies and technical sources had previously reported that at least half a million routers in over fifty countries have been infected with VPNFilter malware, with hackers intending to redirect modem owners to a website that explained the next steps of the breach. The FBI's warning came two days after it took control of this website under a court order. The U.S. Department of Justice identified the hackers as the 'Sofacy group' linked to the Russian government. Reuters, citing technical sources, explained that this group has previously been involved in major cyber sabotage incidents worldwide, including the hacking of the Democratic National Committee during the presidential election. The American company Cisco, a producer of networking equipment including routers, was one of the first sources to detect the new malware in routers. The company detailed in a lengthy note that it provided technical information about this breach to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian government claims that Russia has not only been involved in unrest in eastern Ukraine but has also attempted to hack Ukrainian computer systems over the past year. The Russian government has consistently denied any connection with hackers, and the Kremlin rejected Ukraine's accusations on Thursday.