Broadband Genie has reported that millions of UK internet users could be leaving their home networks open to hackers, with nearly half (47%) failing to change their router’s default settings.
The study reportedly found widespread neglect of basic router security.
Two-thirds of respondents (69%) have never changed their Wi-Fi password and more than 80% have left both their router name and admin credentials at their factory defaults.
The company has articulated that your home could be a hackers easy way in and provide them with access to personal data, smart devices and even online banking.
As part of the research, Broadband Genie collaborated with McAfee to explore the impact of poor router security.
Oliver Devane, Senior Security Researcher, McAfee said: “Many default settings can be dangerous in the hands of cybercriminals.
“Your router is the gateway to all the connected devices in your home, so it’s key to make sure it’s secure and that means updating the settings as well as employing best practices.
“Just like changing the lock on your front door, changing the default router password will ensure only authorised people can access your home network.”
Older users (65+) are reportedly most at risk, 62% said they’ve never changed their router settings.
While younger users are more engaged. Among 18-24 year olds, only 29% said they had never accessed their router.
The figures are said to represent a small improvement from 2024, when 52% of users had failed to adjust their router settings.
That equates to around 12.7 million vulnerable home routers across the UK.
When asked the main reason why users haven’t changed their router default settings, the overwhelming majority (73%) stated that they didn’t understand why they would need to, followed by not knowing how to (22%).
Commenting on the research, Alex Tofts, Broadband Expert at broadband comparison site, Broadband Genie: “While it’s encouraging to see more people accessing their router settings, far more needs to be done to help them make essential changes.
“Providers and manufacturers can educate customers and need to make it easier for the average user to secure their home networks.
“We encourage everyone to take just five minutes to log into their router, update their login details and change default passwords.”
