UK Govt to crack down on weak default passwords

[Dos_Box]

This is a good idea from a govt for once - https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/29/uk_lays_password_legislation/?td=rt-3a

TLDR: Default device passwords will have to meet complexity criteria.

Broadband wireless router providers stand fast.

[FN-GM]

I have noticed that some devices have started to come through with random default passwords. Mikrotik equipment for example.

[Davit2005]

Tried to change my neighbours SSID over the weekend. What a PITA it was, thanks Sky box, at least managed to change the password on it. Wanted to change the SSID to something different and not include the name of the provider in the SSID. No option to add an additional SSID either.

[TechMonkey]

Yep, we had an engineer setting up a device and the usual, non-standard but work out able passwords didn't work and he was talking about everything changing due to PSTI coming into force. Their passwords were not the worse, better than their previous regime of AdminAdmin, or Admin1234, but this seemed like a long overdue change.

 

Yes, well done the government, but also it shouldn't have been necessary.

[Rob_D]

But now how will I guess the admin login every time get a new doo-dad without having to read the manual?

 

I've seen the device serial number being used as the password on venter-routers before. BT seem to have done random passwords for a while.

On our Box router the admin/admin account is a pretty limited all I could do was change the SSID name. For anything else I had to get the proper admin account off tech support, which had a better (if still not great) password.

[jthompson]

As long as this doesn't mean having to install some flaky vendor-made smartphone app that does some weird WiFi hotspot shenanigans in order to begin any kind of onboarding.

[Davit2005]

On our Box router the admin/admin account is a pretty limited all I could do was change the SSID name. For anything else I had to get the proper admin account off tech support, which had a better (if still not great) password.

 

Wonder if this is a shared password between all the routers, if so not great at all.

[Rob_D]

Wonder if this is a shared password between all the routers, if so not great at all.

I'd really like to think so. I mean they have my account details as part of the ticket, so it's possible...