You’re probably aware of the fact that public Wi-Fi is dangerous. The experts also advise against it and even call the ‘free Wi-Fi sign’ a mousetrap. But have you ever wondered what makes public Wi-Fi so deadly?
People often step into a mall or coffee shop and start browsing over Public Wi-Fi. Students, freelance workers, and entrepreneurs consider these places as their alternate working space. But people browsing over these networks often forget that they have a lot of sensitive information stored in their devices and public Wi-Fi is prone to many security risks.
Not only is it unsafe for your personal data and confidential information, but it also puts everyone you’re connected with at equal risk. Your financial details and other sensitive data can be easily accessed by any hacker and used against you or simply misused. This is why we don’t encourage using Public Wi-Fi or free Wi-Fi unless you have no other alternative.
To make sure you don’t have to rely on public or free Wi-Fi you have to invest in a good residential internet that will cover all your needs. Be it completing your online assignments, getting your work tasks done, or downloading your favorite movie, a reliable and fast internet connection at your home will make it super convenient for you. And for that, we suggest you look into Windstream internet if it’s available in your area.
Having a good internet connection at your place will cut down on your dependency on public Wi-Fi or sneaking in your neighbor’s open Wi-Fi. On top of it, you’ll be safe from a lot of potential dangers that come with using public Wi-Fi.
Here are the 5 common risks you must know that are attached to free Wi-Fi:
1. Cyberattacks
When you frequently use free Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi you can be tricked into using a rouge network set up by a cybercriminal. They could name it ‘Free Wi-Fi’ and fool you into thinking it’s from the generous shop owner. In reality, it’s a trap and once you begin to browse over it the hacker will harvest all your valuable data.
Especially if you have a business, never take risk of checking your emails, downloading files, and reviewing any of your customers’ information. It could put you in danger. The cyber attacker might be tracking all the online activities that you’re carrying out on their set trap and use your data for their own benefit.
2. Theft of sensitive information
One of the most common risks that come with Public Wi-Fi is the theft of personal information. It could be in the form of financial details personal data, login credentials, files, documents, pictures, or anything. Hackers are out there and they’re constantly looking for a weak link to get hold of anyone’s personal information and use it against them for ransom, blackmailing, or any other vicious concern.
Once they get a hold of your credentials, they can even log into your account and steal your identity. They can easily harm your finances and cause severe damage to your reputation. Even if they can’t manage to get full access to your device they can still intercept the information you’re sharing or sending using the network.
3. Unencrypted network
One thing you know now for sure is that public Wi-Fi isn’t secure and if by chance you log in to an unencrypted site or a site that only uses encryption on the sign-in page, any other user can see what you’re sending or receiving. If someone with the intention of harming you is using the same unencrypted network they can easily hijack your session and log in as you.
Public Wi-Fi can even allow other users to see your encrypted messages, unsecured logins, and important emails.in short public Wi-Fi make it easier for cybercriminals to reach out to your data by offering an unsecured and unencrypted network.
4. Man in the middle attack
Man-in-the-middle attacks are caused by third parties and their major target is manly businesses and company data. It happens when an impersonator positions himself in a conversation between a user and application. The goal is to trick people into making a normal exchange of information that they can access for their dirty reasons.
It’s often set up in such a way that a person logging into the network won’t even notice the slight change in the name of the network and connect to the impersonated one. Which allows the men in the middle to access all your login details, your passwords, and everything else you share using that Wi-Fi connection.
5. Malware distribution
Hackers use unsecured connections like Public Wi-Fi to distribute malware in the devices that are connected over it. And if you own a business you already know how crippling having viruses and malware inside your devices could be to your business. It could be in the form of Trojan horses, ransomware, or adware. If your devices are not protected with good antivirus software it’s even more prone to get malware planted inside it.
Wrapping it up
We hope we have managed to educate you on the common risks that come with public Wi-Fi. So that you keep in mind and try to avoid it as much as you can. The first step to prevent something is to identify the cause and that is what we have done for you. So stay safe and browse safely.