Security question?

good morning. i look at improving security of my network, in case. no issue as far as i can tell. my WRT1900ACv2 works great since years with openwrt 21.02.2. am i right to assume that the linksys is better protected with openwrt that it would be with a linksys firmware? i cannot install and configure packages to increase security, i don't have that knowledge or time. is there an "easy" to improve security, should i just make sure to update when a new version is available? thank you

This version has only been out for < 1 month, but I assume you mean you've been running OpenWrt in general for the last 2 years.

Almost certainly. Linksys last updated the firmware 4/26/2018. That means it has been almost 4 years, and there may well be vulnerabilities in the stock firmware that are unpatched. OpenWrt, on the other hand, is kept up to date with fairly quick responses to any known vulnerabilities.

It's not that hard to learn, but unless you have specific concerns/requirements, you don't typically need anything special beyond what is included in the OpenWrt firmware and the default configuration of the firewall.

Keeping up to date is the best way to remain secure. Check this section of the forums from time to time so you don't miss important annoucements.

Also worth stating that it isn't just your router -- you need to be on top of the updates and configurations of your computers and other devices if you want to be protected from general security vulnerabilities on the internet. And the other major part is your personal accounts -- from email to bank accounts and beyond... make sure you are using strong passwords and 2 factor authentication, and be very careful about social engineering/phishing attempts.

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thank you very much for the confirmation. yes the linksys was purchased in 2016, runs openwrt since 2019, and is updated regularly. the fact that the product is not new made me think about this "not-updated firmware" since xx. besides, the openwrt community of minds and goodwill helps a lot to maintain a good level of protection. i have no particular problems, but the recent events in europe causes concern about people who might be willing to cause massive disruption worldwide. i hope to be wrong. passwords management and attention to phishing are today a necessary hygiene.... thank you for the clear answer, and for the link.