Default passwords: the oldest trick that still works

Every router, firewall, printer, camera, and piece of software ships with a default username and password so it can be set up out of the box. Those defaults are published in manuals, support forums, and searchable databases, which means they're not a secret an attacker has to work for. Automated tools scan the internet constantly, trying known defaults against anything they find, no targeting required.

It's easy to assume this only applies to obviously "techy" equipment like firewalls, but it covers anything with a login: a CCTV system, a Wi-Fi access point, a database installer, an admin panel bolted onto a web app. If it wasn't changed during setup, it's still sitting there.

The fix is simple in principle: change every default credential before a device goes live. It's just easy to miss on equipment that "just worked" and was never touched again. Run the free 5-minute readiness check to see if this is a gap for you.