Security check for broadband home routers

Attackers are increasingly targeting home routers as a means of gaining access to sensitive personal data. To help combat this threat, ICSA Labs is offering a new program under which manufacturers can have broadband home routers certified.

The program, Broadband Home Router Certification, evaluates a router’s effectiveness in identifying safe versus harmful data, and denying access to malicious data. Certified routers can offer consumers a high level of security assurance for broadband homer routers, which are generally used to connect computers on a home network to the Internet.

“While attacks targeted at routers are not a new threat, we are seeing an increase in attacks against home routers,” said Brian Monkman, technology programs manager, ICSA Labs. “The threat is exacerbated by the fact that these routers are designed to be plug-and-play. Usually, a consumer buys a home router and configures it quickly and easily, while assuming the router has the appropriate security safeguards in place, which unfortunately is not always the case.”

Companies that earn the broadband home router certification for their products will also have the opportunity to join the Firewall Product Developers’ Consortium, an international group dedicated to identifying and improving security problems through the advancement of firewall technology.

Added Monkman, “Only products that pass our rigorous testing process will be awarded the ICSA Labs’ Broadband Home Router Certification. Consumers purchasing or using a certified router can rest assured that it has been security tested by a respected third party and offers strong security measures.”