OpenWrt Default Password
It is not widely known that a router can be used for something else other than to simply access the internet. Just as an operating system can be replaced on your computer or your phone, you can install new operating software (firmware) on your router as well.
OpenWrt is built to free users from restrictions found in the firmware that comes standard with their router. OpenWrt is a highly extensible distribution for routers, providing an alternative firmware "operating system" that can be installed on a wide range of routers. The OpenWrt project aims to give more power to what users can utilize their wireless router for, as it can be modified to allow them to customize to suit any application.
What Are Default Passwords?
Default passwords are commonly used for routers and in embedded systems and are pre-configured for devices. Factory default software configurations often include simple, publicly known passwords that can be easily found online like Admin, Password, and Guest as stand-in passwords for the initial setup or after a factory reset. Many vendors recommend replacing the default password(s) before you comfortably start using the system, if left unchanged, it could draw unimaginable security risks for both home and corporate networks.
Device owners should change the default password to a more secure, unique, and strong password when configuring the device, to counteract the security issues.
What Are The Risks?
- Default passwords can be easily obtained. OpenWrt and other vendors publish default passwords in their documentation and some even online. A simple search on the search engine can reveal OpenWrt default passwords used for many systems, including OpenWrt. This information is freely available to all.
- It is possible to identify exposed systems. Hackers can identify exposed systems using search engines or may even scan the entire IPv4 internet just to obtain any information they require to carry out their attack.
- Can be easily exploited, even by a novice. Defaults passwords are intended to be easily found, they are usually attached at the back of the device or in the user manual. No special skills are required to find them.
- Left unsecured by being set at the default. Users tend to not see the need to change the default values on their routers or any other systems, believing that no one will bother to compromise them. Attackers know this well, to always try first the default credentials.
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Note: Passwarden is a part of the MonoDefense security bundle.
How To Create Secure Passwords
Weak passwords increase the probability of your information and data being accessed by hackers and cybercriminals. Creating secure passwords requires a complex combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Complex passwords can be difficult to remember, you can imagine how difficult it is to memorize complex passwords for multiple accounts. However, they are necessary to have for your email, banking app, social media accounts, and streaming services. A security tool like Passwarden password manager will help you to generate secure passwords and retain a memory of your login details for you.
Strong passwords can be susceptible to being compromised if they are being reused, each account should be protected using a unique password, which will ensure that the risk doesn’t spread to all your accounts in the event where one of your accounts gets compromised.
Passwarden relies on state-of-the-art encryption protocols to provide client-side data encryption. Encryption renders your online identity and passwords indecipherable to anyone else but you, be it your ISP or hackers.
