Q&A: Should you reboot your router like the FBI says?
Last week, the FBI recommended rebooting home and small office routers that could have been infected with disruptive malware, allegedly by sophisticated state-backed Russian hackers . An estimated half million routers and network-attached storage devices have been infected. But even the FBI acknowledges this step will only "temporarily disrupt" the malware. Here are some questions and answers about the situation: Q: How can I tell if my router is infected? A: Short answer: You probably can't. Routers aren't very consumer-friendly, and most people lack the ability to get deep enough inside the device to tell if it's infected. Q: If my router was infected and I reboot, is it safe? A: No. Turning an infected router off and on again only removes some of the malware — such as elements t...
