Your Wi-Fi router may be the least glamorous gadget in your home. It sits on a shelf, blinks in the corner and only gets attention when Netflix freezes. However, that little box controls a lot more than you may think. The FBI and Justice Department say a Russian military intelligence hacking group abused vulnerable small office and home office routers to help run an espionage operation. The group is known as APT28, Fancy Bear and Forest Blizzard. It has been linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence agency. The hackers changed router settings so internet requests could flow through servers they controlled. That gave them a way to watch for valuable targets, redirect traffic and steal sensitive login information. The Justice Department and FBI say they disrupted the U.S. portion of the network in April. That is good news. Still, law enforcement cannot walk into your house, update your router or change the password printed on an old sticker. That part is on you. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report FBI WARNS OF HACKERS EXPLOITING OUTDATED ROUTERS. CHECK YOURS NOW This attack focused on SOHO routers. That stands for small office and home office routers. In other words, these are the kinds of devices used by small businesses, remote workers and some homes. The Justice Department says the hackers used weaknesses in older routers to change DNS settings. DNS is like the address book for the internet. When you type a website name, DNS helps your device find the right online destination. If hackers control that address book, they can send certain requests through their own servers. That can let them spot valuable targets and try to steal passwords, authentication tokens, emails or browsing data. That to me is scary because the victim may not see anything obvious. Your laptop may still connect. Your phone may still browse. Your router may still look normal. Meanwhile, the traffic can be quietly routed through a bad path. Routers age like any other device. The problem is that many people keep them for years after the manufacturer stops supporting them. That can leave known security holes sitting open. Many people also never change the router's admin username and password. That admin login is different from your Wi-Fi password. It controls the router itself. If that login still uses a default password, a hacker has a much easier path inside. Think of it this way. You may have strong passwords on your bank account, email and phone. But if your router is outdated and poorly protected, your network still has a soft spot. DON'T USE YOUR HOME WI-FI BEFORE FIXING CERTAIN SECURITY RISKS The FBI specifically referred to the TP-Link WR841N in its warning. The UK National Cyber Security Centre also listed other TP-Link models targeted by APT28. The agency says the list may not be complete. Here are the routers named in the advisory: If you see your model on this list, take it seriously. Many of these routers are older. Some may no longer get normal security support. We reached out to TP-Link for comments, but did not hear back before our deadline. A spokesperson from TP-Link Systems Inc. told CyberGuy the company is aware of recent public reporting involving legacy consumer routers, including TP-Link models listed in those reports. The company said the referenced legacy router models reached End of Service and Life status several years ago. "While these products are outside our standard maintenance lifecycle, TP-Link has developed security updates for select legacy models where technically feasible," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson also urged customers using legacy or end-of-service devices to upgrade to currently supported hardware that receives regular security updates. "As immediate precautions, users should update to the latest available firmware, disable remote management, and restrict device access to trusted internal networks only," the spokesperson said. TP-Link added that the security of its customers is its highest priority and said detailed mitigation guidance, along with a list of identified affected legacy products, is available on its official security advisory page. Most people do not think about their router until the Wi-Fi drops. But your router sits between your devices and the internet. That gives it a powerful position in your home or small business. If a hacker changes the router's settings, every connected device can feel the impact. That includes your laptop, smartphone, tablet, smart TV and work computer. This is especially important if you work from home. A weak router can create a risk for your personal accounts and your workplace accounts. The good news is that you do not need to be a cybersecurity expert to lower the risk. You just need to stop treating your router like a forgotten appliance. ETHERNET VS WI-FI SECURITY COMPARISON REVEALS SURPRISING RESULTS FOR HOME USERS SEEKING PROTECTION The good news is that a few simple router checks can reduce your risk and help keep hackers from quietly changing how your internet traffic moves. Look at the label on your router. You can usually find the model number on the bottom or back of the device. If it matches one of the listed models, check the manufacturer's support page for firmware updates. If the device is no longer supported, replace it. Do not keep an end-of-life router because it "still works." A router can still provide Wi-Fi while leaving your network exposed. Firmware is the software that runs your router. Updates often fix security problems. Open your router's app or log in to its admin page. Look for a firmware update section. Turn on automatic updates if your router offers that option. If it does not, set a reminder to check for updates regularly. Your router has an admin login. This is separate from your Wi-Fi network password. Change the default admin username and password. Use a long, unique password that you do not use anywhere else. A password manager can help you create and store a strong router password so you do not have to remember it. Also, change your Wi-Fi password if you have shared it widely or kept it for years. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com Most people do not need to manage a home router from outside the house. Remote management can give attackers another way to reach your router. Log in to your router settings and turn it off unless you truly need it. The wording may vary by brand. Look for "remote management," "remote access" or "WAN access." A reboot will not fix every router problem. However, security agencies often recommend restarting routers as part of basic home network hygiene. Unplug your router, wait about 30 seconds and plug it back in. This can help clear some temporary malicious activity. Still, it does not replace updates, stronger passwords or replacing an outdated device. Do not click through browser warnings that say a site certificate is invalid or unsafe. Those warnings can appear when something is interfering with a secure connection. In this kind of attack, that warning could be a major red flag. Close the page instead. Then check the site by typing the address yourself on a trusted network. If you handle work files or sensitive accounts from home, use your company-approved VPN. A VPN can help protect traffic when you connect to workplace systems. It can also reduce exposure when you use networks you do not fully control. Still, a VPN isn’t a free pass to ignore router updates. You need safer habits and safer hardware. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com Strong antivirus software can help protect your devices if a bad link, a fake login page or a malicious download reaches you. It will not fix a vulnerable router, but it can add another layer of protection for your computer and phone. Look for security software that can detect malware, warn you about phishing sites and help block suspicious activity before it causes damage. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com If hackers steal your login details, the damage can spread beyond your Wi-Fi network. Identity theft protection can help monitor for signs that your personal information is being misused. It may alert you to suspicious activity involving your credit, accounts or personal data so you can act faster. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com A data removal service can help reduce the amount of personal information about you that is available online. That is important because scammers often combine stolen logins with exposed details from data broker sites. Removing your information from those sites can make it harder for criminals to build a fuller profile of you or your family. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com If your router no longer receives security updates, replace it. That may feel annoying. I get it. Nobody gets excited about buying a router the way they might get excited about a new phone. But your router protects everything connected to it. Spending money on a supported device can be cheaper than cleaning up stolen passwords later. This router warning should make every home and small business owner pause for a minute. The scariest part is how ordinary the target is. We are talking about routers that may be sitting in homes, home offices and small businesses right now. The FBI and its partners disrupted part of the Russian operation. However, that does not magically secure old routers still sitting on shelves. So check your model. Update the firmware. Change the admin password. Turn off remote management. Replace the router if it no longer gets updates. Your router may be boring. But if it gets hijacked, it can become one of the most important security problems in your home. Would you know how old your router is right now, or is it one of those devices you have not touched since the day it was installed? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. View the full article

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of declassified records detailing U.S. funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, arguing the documents validate concerns that were previously dismissed as misinformation. The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion. Critics accused her of echoing Russian narratives, while supporters argued legitimate questions about the labs' activities and oversight were being unfairly dismissed. The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of U.S. involvement in Ukraine's laboratory network. DNI TULSI GABBARD PROBES U.S. FUNDING TO MORE THAN 120 BIOLABS AROUND THE WORLD One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era. The records also show Ukrainian scientists received U.S.-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases. The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS. Additional records detail U.S.-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show U.S. taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects. LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER SUSPECTED BIOLAB DISCOVERED IN CHINESE NATIONAL'S LAS VEGAS HOME One declassified assessment focuses on a veterinary research laboratory in Kharkiv that received Pentagon funding through the Defense Department's Biological Threat Reduction Program. According to the assessment, the facility housed hundreds of samples of dangerous pathogens, including Brucella bacteria, which can cause a disease known as brucellosis. The document warned the lab could become a target of Russian propaganda efforts or be damaged, captured or otherwise compromised during the war. Another ODNI slide outlines what it describes as a "web of connections" linking Ukrainian laboratories with U.S. government agencies, universities, research organizations and private contractors. The document says U.S. funding supported research on bird flu and other highly infectious viruses in high-security laboratories. Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of U.S.-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs. The declassification is likely to reignite debate over government transparency, gain-of-function research and the scope of U.S.-funded biological research overseas. View the full article

Nearly four months after Netflix released an explosive documentary chronicling the legacy and controversies of "America's Next Top Model," the show's creator, Tyra Banks, is suing the streaming giant for false light, defamation by implication, breach of contract and false endorsement. According to the lawsuit filed on June 13 and obtained by Fox News Digital, Banks — who participated in the docuseries "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" — accused Netflix and the docs producers of deliberately editing her 3.5-hour interview down to 16 minutes to create the false impression that she knowingly concealed what a former contestant has since characterized as a sexual assault that occurred during the filming of "ANTM." "Tyra Banks participated in the Netflix documentary series 'America's Next Top Model' because she believed viewers deserved a candid conversation about the show's legacy—its successes and its shortcomings," the lawsuit states. "There are aspects of the show for which Ms. Banks takes accountability and she wanted 'ANTM' viewers to hear that from her directly." "Going into her interview, Ms. Banks did not limit the 'ANTM' topics the interviewer could ask," the lawsuit continues. "During a three-and-a-half-hour interview, Ms. Banks answered questions about the show's groundbreaking history, including criticism of decisions she would approach differently today." 'AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL' CONTESTANTS LOBBY CALIFORNIA FOR BETTER REALITY TV PROTECTION AFTER NEW DOCUSERIES Banks says the Netflix series was sold to her as a "documentary series" that would chronicle "ANTM," but says the viewers were "stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed." "Worse, the false narrative the producers constructed—through selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage—included that Ms. Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on her show, exploited that contestant’s trauma for ratings, and then could not even remember it when asked," the suit stated. "That narrative about Ms. Banks is a complete fabrication—one that Netflix streamed to a global audience of millions." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER The suit highlights one "egregious example of the producers’ manipulation to create a false narrative," involving former contestant Shandi Sullivan. SUPERMODEL PAULINA PORIZKOVA EXPOSES DARK SIDE OF FASHION INDUSTRY THAT PREYED ON HER AT 15 "One of the areas of interest about ‘ANTM’ over the last twenty years has been about an evening during which Ms. Sullivan was intoxicated, had intercourse with a man in Milan, and quickly confessed her infidelity to her longtime boyfriend," the suit reads. "On the Netflix Series, Ms. Sullivan is shown describing the event as an assault—something Ms. Banks had never heard before and was not told during her interview. Having withheld that information, Ms. Loushy asks Ms. Banks: ‘You remember the story with Shandi?’ The episode shows Ms. Banks glance upward, say ‘um,’ and then the screen cuts to black. The implication is devastating and deliberate: that Tyra Banks cannot even remember the story of the woman who was assaulted on her show." LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Bank’s lawyers claim the "implication is false." "Ms. Banks remembers Ms. Sullivan well. She stood out as a remarkable young woman and talented aspiring model. Ms. Banks also remembers the encounter in Milan as a matter of regret over infidelity. As far as she knew at the time, that was how everyone involved understood it—not as a sexual assault. Before it aired, no one involved in making or clearing the episode—not the producers, the network executives that oversaw the show, or the network’s standards-and-practices reviewers—told her that anyone regarded it as a sexual assault." "Second, Ms. Banks goes on to say: 'I do remember her story.' That response was cut off from the end." Banks' attorneys claim that producers "deprived viewers of truth by withholding from Ms. Banks the information about what others had said in their Netflix interviews and not providing her with an opportunity to respond." "There are numerous other examples," the lawsuit states. Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Banks, who is requesting a jury trial, is asking for an "appropriate" amount of punitive damages. View the full article

Phoronix reports: The AMD R600 Gallium3D driver saw 59 commits [last] Sunday to Mesa 26.2. Making this code restructuring and code cleaning all the more notable is that the improvements to this old AMD Radeon graphics driver was done in part by GitHub Copilot. Gert Wollny has been among the few open-source developers left working on the AMD R600g driver that covers from the Radeon HD 2000 series through Radeon HD 6000 series graphics cards... [T]he old open-source GPU driver support is being assisted by AI long after the upstream vendor has stopped working on this driver — the Radeon HD 2000 "R600" series launched in 2007. Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

Nobody had a bigger night on Saturday night than Jalen Brunson. His 45-point performance in Game 5 locked down the NBA Finals MVP and the Knicks championship. A close second in the running for the biggest night is a Spurs fan in a Dennis Rodman jersey. He went on a one-man mission in New York to find any celebrating Knicks fan who wanted a piece. Most people moved out of the way as if he had some sort of invisible force field around him, but he did have a few Knicks fans take him up on the offer. Surprisingly, he fared pretty well against the crowd. ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! He trades punches, keeps moving forward and nobody seems to have enough to slow him down. There are several altercations that take place before he receives a police escort outside. Once outside, the Spurs fan went a couple more rounds with willing Knicks fans. His head was on a swivel, and he was pulling off one of those completely fake-looking movie fight scenes where the good guy takes out several bad guys at the same time. It's unbelievable to watch. The force field was still in effect for those who wanted nothing to do with fighting him. A police officer outside eventually steps in and the Spurs fan disappears into the night with some celebrating Knicks fans following and taunting him. VICTOR WEMBANYAMA BOLDY CLAIMS SPURS 'DOMINATED' KNICKS AFTER LOSING NBA FINALS IN FIVE GAMES If only the Spurs had half of this fan's fight. It would have been a different NBA Finals entirely. They turned to putty late in games when the Knicks were on the attack and in the process of putting them away. Something tells me that wouldn’t be the case for this guy, who went viral in the latest chaotic scene in New York following an NBA Finals game. View the full article