If your Internet connection is going through a router from ASUS, your router—and all your information passing through it—may have been viewable by anyone in the world.
ASUSTeK Computer, Inc. agreed to settle charges with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Feb. 23 that its routers were insecure, and the personal data of thousands of people using its products had their personal information exposed online.
“Routers play a key role in securing those home networks, so it’s critical that companies like ASUS put reasonable security in place to protect consumers and their personal information,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in the release.
“Your Asus router (and your documents) can be accessed by anyone in the world with an internet connection,” the letter stated, in part. It then gave them a link for further information, and gave them a brief fix.
ASUS patched the vulnerability soon after, but the controversy with the devices is still far from over.