Total Home Protection: Is Your Router Safe Against Malware?

With the ever-increasing threat of cybersecurity risks on the Internet, protecting every device in your home has become essential. Whether that means adding a reliable VPN to your child’s laptop or installing antivirus software on your work computer, it’s never been more important to ensure that your hardware remains secure. However, there is one home device that often gets overlooked when it comes to security: Your router. Is your router safe against malware and are you getting the total home protection you need? In this article, we’ll help you answer that question and advise you on how to guarantee your total online security.

The Vulnerability of Home Routers

Routers are the MVPs of our digital lives, helping to direct traffic between our devices and the internet at large. Unfortunately, they’re often overlooked when it comes to home security. In fact, most users are unaware that routers can easily become the target of malware and cyber attacks, which can lead to devastating cases of uninvited surveillance, identity theft, and stolen data. 

Your home router is more likely to become the target of a dangerous malware attack because manufacturers don’t often release regular updates or patches. Of course, firmware updates are distributed if there are critical security issues, but many users often forgo installing them, either out of negligence or because they don’t realize their importance. This can often leave routers exposed to troublesome exploits that cyber attackers easily utilize for their own gain. 

Is Your Router Safe Against Malware?

Before we dive into the ways that you can protect your router (and, subsequently, every device on your network), let’s discuss the basics of malware and how it works.

Malware, also known as malicious software, is a term used to describe any kind of program that is created to harm a device or its users. You may have heard of malware in its other forms, which include: 

• Adware: This form of malware floods your device with invasive advertisements.
• Ransomware: As it says in the name, this malware prevents you from accessing a device (or specific files) until you pay the threat actors a fee.
• Spyware: As the name suggests, this malware spies on your activity and steals your personal information, including your credentials and online browsing history.
• Trojan horses: This threat is typically disguised as a legitimate program that begins to create problems as soon as it is installed.
• Viruses: These can quickly replicate their code and infect an entire network by moving from one device to another.
• Worms: This type of malware is similar to a virus, but it can be spread without requiring a host program. 

In most cases, malware is created and introduced to a network, or a specific device, to gain access to information. The information being sought after can vary but typically includes personal or financial data. However, many types of malware regularly intend to disrupt business operations or to hold certain information hostage so that threat actors can be paid to restore access.

Total Home Protection with a VPN

One reliable way to secure yourself against malware, and similar attacks, is to use a VPN. VPNs protect your online activity and mask your IP address. Although many people are familiar with VPNs being exclusively used on individual devices, they are also highly beneficial when it comes to protecting your entire home network. And yes, this includes your router!

Adding a VPN directly to your home router creates a secure tunnel that allows you to safely send data back and forth between your network and the internet. Once connected, every device in your home, including phones, computers, gaming consoles, and smart devices, benefits from the added encryption and anonymity. This means that, in the event of a malware attack, it would be much more difficult for a malicious entity to access your personal information or any data you transmit. 

Powerful Malware Protection with PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN offers comprehensive guides on how to install our award-winning VPN on your home router in no time at all. No matter what kind of router you use, we offer dependable protection against dangerous malware, invasive third parties, and more. PrivadoVPN also delivers security against pop-up ads and even comes with parental control features that can help keep everyone in your home safe. 
Your home security is more important than ever before, and PrivadoVPN is here to help you maintain ongoing protection over all of your personal devices. We make it easy for you to get the privacy you need with minimal effort or complicated configuration. Don’t go another day without a powerful VPN on your side.