Why
Hackers Love Public Wi-Fi
On the occasion of World Wi-Fi day the realisation has become
strong that people are easily connected with each other globally. Modernization
has brought a lot of changes around the world and now India is getting
integrated in this process fast. Indians have come to know the value of
Internet; now we can find Wi-Fi installed in each and every house in the
metropolitian cities as well as in small towns. Nowadays, we can see free
public WI-Fi which is widely and readily available in places like airports,
restaurants, coffee shops, libraries etc. We all run for free things as we run
for free internet connection as well. As we all know, using free internet
connection can be the best way to access online accounts, catch up on work and
check emails as well. However, there are many security risks involved which
could not be ignored, since you could be an easy target for hackers while
placing your information which can be a risk. Online crimes are taking
different forms which we have come across and according to The Norton
Cybersecurity Insights report has revealed that 77 percent of Indians would
feel devastated if their personal financial information were compromised and 52
percent actually have either personal experienced of a credit card fraud or
know someone who has. With public Wi-Fi available everywhere, what seems like a
convenience can actually put you at a great risk. Free public Wi-Fi is a
hacker’s playground for stealing personal information.To avoid becoming one of
the victims of Cybercrime, we need to enhance our knowledge regarding Wi-Fi.
Risks of public Wi-Fi and how to stay safe
online
Man-in-the-Middle Attack
One of the many dangers of using a public Wi-Fi network is that
data over this type of open connection is often not encrypted and unsecured,
leaving you vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. What is an MITM?
It’s when a cybercriminal exploits a security flaw in the network to intercept
data. Essentially, this gives a hacker access to sniff out any information that
passes between you and the websites you visit — details of browsing activities,
account logins and purchase transactions. Your sensitive information, such as
passwords and financial data, are then vulnerable to identity theft.
Rogue Hotspots
Another risk of using free public Wi-Fi is that you may be
connecting via a rogue hotspot. This is an open hotspot, usually with a name
similar to that of a legitimate hotspot, which cyber criminals set up to lure
people into connecting to their network. Once a victim connects to the rogue
Wi-Fi hotspot, the host hacker can then intercept data and even use tools to
inject malware into the connected devices.
Better Wi-Fi Security
Habits to Stay Safe from Cybercrime
Did you know that 66percent of consumers in India think that
using public Wi-Fi is riskier than using a public restroom? Yet, while the
Norton Cyber security Insights Report revealed that people are aware of the
risks of public Wi-Fi, the survey also showed that people are not practising
safe security habits online.
How Norton helps you make it harder
for cyber criminals to steal your information on public Wi-Fi:
§ Avoid
connecting to public Wi-Fi. If you must use a public Wi-Fi hotspot, also use a
virtual private network (VPN) to secure your connection.
§ Don’t
log in to password-protected websites that contain sensitive information when
using a public Wi-Fi connection — for example, banking and social networking
sites, or even email.
§ Keep
your software patched and up to date on all your devices — even your mobile
ones — to avoid any potential infections by viruses or malware if you do use
unsecured public Wi-Fi.
§ One
More Security Habit: Use a Virtual Private Network
§ A VPN creates a “secure tunnel” where data sent over a Wi-Fi connection is
encrypted, making all that data sent to and from your device secure. Using a
VPN is a safe Wi-Fi security habit that can protect you when connecting to the
Internet on the go.
