Sky Hub.

[Bob Williams]

Can’t recall who mentioned it on which Topic, but a Forumite posted a link about Sky Hubs being insecure a while ago. Or something like that. Anyhoo, I had made a note of it, with the intention of changing my Hub password. I just found the note after SOMEONE ‘tidied’ and dusted my desk, KB, PC and associated gear. (which will not happen again ?)

I accessed the sky webpage to change the Hub password, needed to find the old Password. Have a guess what it was?

sky. It was sky. I could not believe it. Using FFox Tools – Options – Saved Logins – Show Passwords, I checked again. It was sky.

So I changed it and am advising everyone I know with a Sky Hub to do the same. Is it any wonder that bad things happen on t’internet?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

admin/sky is the default user name and password on their hubs. I changed the password at the get go, but it annoyed me you still need to keep admin as the user name. Allowing that to be changed as well would increase the security strength by 100% ( 2 unknown facts instead of 1 ).

[Bob Williams]

Yes John I forgot to add the admin bit: that severely P****s me off also. Makes you think that Sky does not give a wotsit for customer security. Ah well, soon be time to give it the heave-ho.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

It’s not that they don’t give a hoot bob, it’s the average person, no 90% plus of people, would break it, or be simply to scared to mess about with passwords. Most people I know, never save passwords/usernames, so sky would be getting calls form people by the hour about trivial things.

Sky is not the only one that does this, it’s an industry wide thing. Just Google and brand model number of router, and you’ll get the default login. It’s usually admin/password.

I was away at the weekend, and the default password on the virgin od was 1234. It  said I had 4 attempts before it locked the box. First I tried 0000 followed by 1234 (bingo), next would of been 1111 then I’d of stopped, before I locked the box.

I don’t know if this was the default pin or one the owners set. But I’d imagine it’s the default.

I always set pins up as 1664. Not my bank, but more tedious ones like tv and Windows login pin.

[JayCeeDee]

I’ve just gone over to Sky Mobile so I’m giving it a trial. So far, signal  indoors is as bad as EE originally was, so they’ve sent me another Sim,-  it made no difference, and I’m due another callback from them tomorrow when I’ll need to convince them to send me a signal booster like EE did.

It’s a good deal at £10 pm for 1GB data plus unlimited calls and texts as I’m a Sky TV customer. Interestingly, when I went through to get the PAC code, EE asked if I would stay if they price matched. I didn’t bother.

[Drezha]

The Duke wrote:

It’s not that they don’t give a hoot bob, it’s the average person, no 90% plus of people, would break it, or be simply to scared to mess about with passwords. Most people I know, never save passwords/usernames, so sky would be getting calls form people by the hour about trivial things. Sky is not the only one that does this, it’s an industry wide thing. Just Google and brand model number of router, and you’ll get the default login. It’s usually admin/password.  

 

Not usually any more. My Homehub from BT had a random one (attached on the box mind, but at least you’d need physical access to get into that). Likewise with my Nighthawk that I picked up this weekend.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[The Duke]

Even on the admin screen Chris? I’ve see most Routers come with random passwords printed on the back. But the actual admin page is usually some standered  default admin/password that can be looked up on line.

Even my asus router, had a generic admin out of the box. And that’s not aimed at the average non technical person. Suppose though that they know the majority of their buyers will be changing there logins ASAP..

I find it hard to be critical in these matters, as we can all see how stupid it is to have generic admin pages, as can the makers of the devices, but the majority of users, couldn’t handle another password username combo. Especially one that is the gateway to their Internet.

Most people just look at you blank and say errm, just after they ask your for any type of PC help, and you start asking passwords. Then you know your in for a long afternoon. After I’ve helped the same person more than 2 or 3 times, and I’ve explained about passwords etc, I just have no patients with them the 4th time.

I now have not only my passwords, but most of the people in the houses, plus in laws and others.

 

I still have the new TalkTalk box unopened.  if I think on later, I’ll  get a kid to get it for me, (not in an easy location for my back) its just boxed up next to my router, waiting for the day it needs plugging in to get remote help from TT. (fingers crossed its along time away).

[Dave Rice]

The latest routers from every ISP I know come with a sticker with a random admin and wireless password. BT have done since at least Hub 3. It’s the third party routers that come with generic ID / passwords but all I’ve dealt with lately either force you to change them or nag you incessantly to.

[Bob Williams]

I understand what you mean Steve, about other people and passwords when they need PC help. I don’t mind the fact that not everybody is non-tech. However, I try to get through to locals around me, is that buying a device (PC, laptop, phone, tablet, whatever) means looking after it the way they look after all expensive possessions. That means keeping it secure, not just from thieves, but from thieves who can use poor security on the device, to take anything on it and use it to do whatever they want.

Most of my neighbours and others in the village know my attitude now. If you break it again by doing the same thing you did before, you are on your own. I always tell anyone using the internet for the first time to go down to the library and pick up a leaflet about local courses. I tell them they have to understand the first things about the devices and what they do, before using them. You would not try to drive a car if you never had a lesson, would you? If I get the glazed eyes, I walk. “You’re not listening, so I’m not talking.”

I must admit though, that when I was with Plusnet, they had a great website and Support, and they nagged me to change the router and wireless passwords from the ones they gave.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

Posts