Your Digital Double

 

YOUR IDENTITY COULD BE THE PRIZE

That Router Could Be the Snare

Most people worry about hackers stealing money.

There is something worse.

They may steal enough information to become you.

A compromised router does not automatically hand over your identity. But it can become the first doorway into the devices and accounts connected to your home network.

From there, an attacker may look for access to:

Your email.
Your passwords.
Your banking.
Your credit cards.
Your personal files.
Your name, address and other identifying information.

Get enough pieces, and the target may no longer be your bank balance.

THE TARGET MAY BE YOUR IDENTITY

That can mean fraudulent purchases, accounts opened in your name, loans you never applied for, damaged credit and collection calls for debts you never incurred.

And identity theft has one particularly nasty feature:

The thief can disappear. Your stolen information cannot.

A credit card can be cancelled.

A password can be changed.

But your name, date of birth and other permanent identifying information are much harder to replace.

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THE ROUTER COULD BE THE FIRST DOOR

That is why the recent discovery of the ENDLESSDOORS remote-access capability in some Chinese-made routers matters far beyond the router itself.

The equipment could continue working normally.

No crash.
No obvious warning.
No reason for the owner to suspect anything.

Researchers found the hidden access because they looked inside the firmware.

The average consumer cannot do that.

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WHO IS LOOKING BEFORE YOU PLUG IT IN?

Routers. Cameras. Smart appliances. Connected cars.

We increasingly bring computers into our homes disguised as everyday products.

If one of them contains a hidden doorway, you may never know it is there until something valuable has already gone through it.

And the most valuable thing you own may not be your money.

IT MAY BE YOUR IDENTITY.

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SOURCES

VulnCheck — ENDLESSDOORS Research

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security — Zbtlink Security Advisory