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By Jose Pagliery @Jose_Pagliery

wireless break in

Someone is hacking unprotected WiFi routers everywhere — and forcing them to
be on guard.

Does your home WiFi use a default password? It forces you to change it.
Does it leave unguarded communication channels open? It forces you to
close them.

To experts, this seems like the work of a well intentioned hacker
vigilante. Illegal, yes. But helpful, kinda.

The custom-built software is nicknamed “Ifwatch” and it is spreading
quickly, according to researchers at the cybersecurity firm
Symantec (SYMC, Tech30).

“We have not seen any malicious activity whatsoever,” said Symantec
threat intelligence officer Val Saengphaibul. “However, in the legal
sense, this is illegal activity. It’s accessing computers on a network
without the owner’s permission.”

To date, it has snuck into at least 10,000 Internet-connected devices,
usually WiFi routers.

Ifwatch first popped up last year, when an independent security
researcher spotted something funky in a home WiFi router.

Why does Ifwatch seem nice? Because it tries to kill any malware on
your router. It also gives your device automatic, friendly updates that
protect it from computer viruses. In some cases, it forces a device to
reboot every week, clearing away any dangerous malware.

Then again, there’s no telling if this intrusive program is really as
benign as it seems. Ifwatch has the ability to monitor what’s going on
in your router — and capture that data.

So, in theory, it could spy on you. When you’re prompted to type in a
new password, it’s hard to tell if that stays private. Would you type
in a new password with someone looking over your shoulder?

“We have no idea who is behind this — or what their full intention
is,” Saengphaibul said.

But there’s a clue. There’s a hidden message in the program’s computer
code: “To any NSA and FBI agents reading this: please consider whether
defending the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic,
requires you to follow Snowden’s example.”

This altruistic hack could be an attempt to improve everyone’s privacy.
Or maybe it’s just a very clever diversion.

Meet the cat that can steal your Wi-Fi
Meet the cat that can steal your Wi-Fi

criminals

tried to sign up for T-Mobile
CNNMoney (New York) October 2, 2015: 6:41 PM ET