UNCOVERING AMERICA'S MOST 'HACKABLE' STATES
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
SURVEY SAYS NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, AND OHIO TOP THE LIST
ALLEN, Texas, May 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - A recent survey of Wi-Fi security basics has uncovered that many Americans are unaware of (or are ignoring) key security features available on their routers. Based on 6 key factors: router access password, firmware update frequency, WI-FI password strength, disabling WPS, IoT device segregation and use of VPNs, pcWRT (providers of a seriously security-focussed consumer Wi-Fi router for Americans) polled 1000 random Americans to test the strength of their overall Wi-Fi security.
MEDIA, PLEASE ATTRIBUTE THIS AS A SURVEY BY SECURITY FOCUSSED WI-FI ROUTER PROVIDER pcWRT IN ALL MEDIA MENTIONS
Key Findings of the survey (National):
1. Password Fail:
Over a quarter of Americans (27.20%) use the default password that came with the router to access the router and change settings etc. 26.70% of Americans use the default Wi-Fi password that came with the router.
20% use the exact same password for Wi-Fi and router access.
While using the default router password makes it easy for hackers to gain control of the router, using the Wi-Fi password as the router access password allows anyone who can connect to the Wi-Fi to log in and manage the router. Either practice opens the door for an unauthorized party to hijack the router.
2. Firmware Flunk:
36.9% of Americans either never update their router or update their router only when it does not work.
From a security perspective, Americans that don't update their router's firmware miss out on key security bug fixes. Router vulnerabilities are disclosed after a certain period or after they are fixed by the vendor. Routers with outdated firmware are more vulnerable after such disclosures.
3. Just say NO to WPS:
WPS (WI-FI Protected Setup) is easily hackable even when you have a strong Wi-Fi password. Once a visitor gains connectivity to the Wi-Fi via WPS, changing the Wi-Fi password won't keep them out. Security experts suggest disabling WPS.
Asked if they have WPS enabled on their router, 32.8% of Americans said they don't know and 3.30% said they 'wanted to disable it but can't find the place to do that.' The pcWRT router does NOT support WPS.
4. Set your IoT's free:
A whopping 60.8% of Americans say that they connect all their IoT (Internet of things) devices (like doorbells, fridges etc.) and main devices like computers, tablets, and smartphones to the SAME Wi-Fi signal.
Security experts have long advised that IoT devices should be separated from the main network since they are more easily compromised. Putting IoT devices on the guest network mitigates the risks to a certain extent, but the proper solution is to use a router with VLAN support.
5. VPN for the Win:
A combined 62.6% of Americans ARE NOT using VPNs to secure their wireless devices. 51.7% say they don't need it, 7.6% say that 'they are too hard to set up' and 3.3% mistakenly believe that VPNs are illegal in the USA.
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) offer users greatly enhanced security and privacy by creating an encrypted internet traffic tunnel that isn't visible to hackers or even your internet service provider. A VPN allows you to change your IP address, so you appear to be in any country that you choose and can block websites, apps, and services from tracking your online activity.
The pcWRT survey also randomly sampled 10 states (California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Tennessee) to snapshot which states had the largest percentages of Wi-Fi security concerns. States were rated for 'hackability' based on top percentages for specific concerns, number of concerns and, severity of Wi-Fi concerns at the consumer level.
Most hackable States:
Hackability State Wi-Fi security Issue Highest Second # of
Rating % Highest Security
% Issues
#1 NEW YORK Default Password used for Wi-Fi 36.07 % 3
Default Password used for
accessing 31.15 %
router
Not knowing if WPS is enabled on
router 37.7 %
#2 PENNSYLVANIA Not updating firmware for router 40.91 % 2
All IoT and primary devices
connected to 75 %
same Wi-Fi network.
#3 OHIO Not knowing if WPS is enabled on 39.58 2
router
Not updating firmware for router 31.25 %
#4 NORTH Default Password used for
accessing 32.5 % 2
CAROLINA router
Default Password used for Wi-Fi 30 %
#5 ILLINOIS Default Password used for
accessing 29.63 % 2
router
Not using a VPN to secure Wi-Fi 55.56 %
MEDIA, PLEASE ATTRIBUTE THIS AS A SURVEY BY SECURITY FOCUSSED WI-FI ROUTER PROVIDER pcWRT IN ALL MEDIA MENTIONS
About pcWRT:The pcWRT router brings business class security to the consumer. It provides security and privacy features such as VLAN network segmentation, VPN client and server, DNS over HTTPS, advanced access/parental controls, bandwidth throttling/monitoring and one-click ad blocking. pcWRT is determined to make Wi-Fi security and state of the art Wi-Fi security features easy, cost effective and "a notch above the rest."
The pcWRT router is available on Shopify at and the pcWRT https://shop.pcwrt.com website at https://www.pcwrt.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uncovering-americas-most-hackable-states-301818204.html
SOURCE bigXi LLC
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