Has your router been hacked?

The FBI has named 18 more home router models that have been targeted in a malware attacks. They include models from:

• D-Link

• Netgear

• TP-Link, and

• Zyxel

Whether or not your router is on the list, it is important to keep it healthy. That means keeping it updated with the latest patches that plug security holes. But it is also important to check for signs that your router has been hacked.

Your router, which some might call a modem, stands between you and the entire, wild internet. If hackers get through your router, they could monitor everything you do. They could access your accounts, steal your identity, or encrypt all your files and demand a ransom payment.

Your antivirus software might protect you. Or it might not. Criminals are constantly coming up with new ways of defeating computer defenses. It is best to keep each of your layers of defense healthy.

Checking for signs of compromise in your router may be beyond what you'd like to do yourself. If that is your situation, you would be smart to engage a competent, trustworthy person or company to login and inspect your router.

You can see some telltale signs of a successful attack without logging into your router and navigating its endless menus:

• Suddenly slow internet speeds

• Unexpected disconnections

• Devices going offline

• Unexpected reboots

These are not sure signs of a successful router hack. MS Windows can flake out for various other reasons. But they can be warning signs that make checking your router a good idea.

Your router contains a wealth of information about its status. For access to the router, you'll need its password, either for your use or to give to your technology expert.

The initial router password is typically printed on a label on the router itself. Older routers came with a generic, weak password. Newer routers have a stronger initial password. In both cases, the instructions advise changing the password, so you may need to find where that new password was saved during the initial setup of the router.

If you do not have the router password or cannot get it from the person who set it up, you face a lot of hassles. You will need to reset the router to its factory state. That will disconnect you from the internet. You may need to work with your Internet Service Provider to get the router reconfigured. Your technical expert will need to reset the settings on the router.