Everyone is aware of our vulnerability to having our computers hacked through unwittingly downloading malware that often comes as an attachment to or a link in a phishing email that appears to be legitimate, but whose sole purpose is to lure us into downloading the malware that can steal the information from our computer and make us victims of identity theft.  However, few people are aware that hackers and identity thieves are now targeting the computers of individuals and businesses through their routers.   Cisco, one of the makers of home wireless routers has issued a security patch to remedy this problem.  As always, when security updates and patches are released, it is very important to make sure that you download and install the patches as soon as possible.

TIPS

Here is the link to the Cisco security patch as provided by the Department of Homeland Security: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2014/07/16/Cisco-Addresses-Wireless-Residential-Gateway-Vulnerability

It is important to note that other routers are also vulnerable to hackers so if you have one that is not made by Cisco, you should contact the maker of your router to learn what you can do to make its use safer.