D-Link Add CAPTCHA Anti-Trojan Security To Routers

D-Link have announced new CAPTCHA security for selected models in their router range, promising more resilience against DNS-altering malware and spyware.  The new firmware – which is also available to upgrade on existing models – adds the familiar distorted letters and numbers to common router settings pages.

By changing the DNS settings in a home or office router, users' traffic can be diverted through a security-impaired network where login, credit card and internet banking details are harvested.  Even if the router is password protected, entering that password from a malware-infected PC can then give the trojan access; the CAPTCHA prevents that.

D-Link router models that now feature CAPTCHA include the DIR-615, DIR-625, DIR-628, DIR-655, DIR-825, DIR-855, DIR-685 and DGL-4500.  The updated firmware is available at support.dlink.com.

Press Release:

D-LINK FIRST TO ADD CAPTCHA TO ITS HOME ROUTERS TO HELP PREVENT AGAINST ATTACKS

Additional Safety Measure Helps Defend Computers from Worms, Viruses and Other Growing Security Threats

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., May 12, 2009 – A series of recent Internet security attacks on home and small office computers are compromising networks where users least expect it – their routers. These malicious software invasions, in which users unknowingly download a Trojan horse when performing common tasks, invade the router to detect wireless capabilities, then alter the victim's domain name system (DNS) records so that all future traffic is diverted through the, attackers' network first.

In response to the growing number of these attacks and subsequent user security concerns, D-Link has integrated CAPTCHA – a system, designed to detect whether responses are human or computer-generated – into its popular home and small office routers as an extra safety measure. CAPTCHAs are used to prevent malicious software from performing actions that degrade the quality of service on a network, such as those found in worms, viruses and Trojan horses.

The term CAPTCHA is an acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that responses are generated by humans, not computers. A common type of CAPTCHA requires the user to type letters or numbers from a distorted image that appears on the screen.

"Unlike other brands, the majority of D-Link® routers are not as easy to be compromised since our design is proprietary. However, we're excited to be the first in the market to announce we have taken the initiative to implement CAPTCHA into our routers, thus providing yet another layer of security to our customers," said AJ Wang, chief technology officer of D-Link.

Popular D-Link router models that now feature CAPTCHA include the DIR-615, DIR-625, DIR-628, DIR-655, DIR-825, DIR-855, DIR-685, and DGL-4500. To upgrade routers with CAPTCHA, customers need to visit support.dlink.com to download the upgrade.