As organizations strive to secure their evolving digital infrastructure, routers have emerged as critical gateways for cyberattacks on enterprise networks.
A recent report by Forescout Research, Vedere Labs, unveils alarming trends indicating routers are now the most vulnerable devices in organizational networks, surpassing traditional endpoints.
This shift highlights a growing focus by threat actors on exploiting network equipment to gain unauthorized access and disrupt operations.
Network Equipment Takes Center Stage in Cyber Threats
Leveraging data from millions of devices analyzed through Forescout’s multifactor risk scoring methodology, cybersecurity researchers have identified routers as the riskiest device category in enterprise networks.
Traditionally overshadowed by endpoints, routers have now become prime targets due to their exposure at network perimeters and the prevalence of high-severity vulnerabilities.
Persistent flaws, including open administrative ports and zero-day exploits, make them attractive for adversaries seeking entry points.
From January to February 2025, researchers observed a sharp increase in attack campaigns targeting network infrastructure.
Routers alone account for more than half of the devices associated with critical vulnerabilities and exploitation risks.
Whether it is through insecure configuration, internet exposure, or flawed firmware, routers are now routinely weaponized to facilitate lateral movement within networks, data exfiltration, and denial-of-service attacks.
Legacy Systems and Protocol Choices Exacerbate Risks
The report further draws attention to outdated systems and insecure practices compounding vulnerabilities.
For instance, legacy Windows versions remain prevalent in industries like government, healthcare, and manufacturing, even as support for Windows 10 approaches its October 2025 end-of-life date.
Embedded operating systems, growing in adoption across sectors such as healthcare and government, introduce additional complexities due to systematic flaws, such as hardcoded credentials and cryptographic vulnerabilities.
Open ports pose another significant challenge. Protocols such as Telnet, notorious for its lack of encryption, are increasingly found in industrial and government networks, while the more secure SSH protocol has seen a decline in usage.
These trends signal a dangerous reliance on insecure remote management methods, leaving systems and routers, in particular open to exploitation.
This year marks the largest annual shift in vulnerable device types, with 12 new categories entering the “riskiest devices” list, underscoring cybercriminals’ growing interest in attacking emerging technologies.
Beyond routers, other high-risk devices include domain controllers, VoIP systems, NAS (network-attached storage), and specialized Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) equipment such as infusion pump controllers and imaging devices.
In healthcare settings, attackers exploit vulnerabilities in connected medical devices to compromise patient safety and steal valuable data.
Similarly, universal gateways and historians within operational technology (OT) environments remain critical risks, facilitating lateral movement between IT and OT networks.
According to the Report, Forescout emphasizes that the attack surface in modern organizations spans IT, IoT, OT, and IoMT—creating a complex, interconnected landscape of vulnerabilities.
Protecting network infrastructure such as routers demands integrated security solutions capable of addressing risks across all domains, rather than isolated systems.
Organizations must move beyond siloed approaches to adopt unified risk management frameworks.
Proactive measures like automated mitigation controls, continuous visibility, and cross-domain threat detection are essential to defending against router-focused cyberattacks and ensuring enterprise resilience.
As routers ascend as pivotal points of vulnerability, cybersecurity teams must prioritize securing network equipment and addressing threats holistically.
The rise of router-targeted exploitation reflects the evolving tactics of cybercriminals, underscoring the urgency of adapting security strategies to safeguard enterprise networks in 2025 and beyond.
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