Chinenye Anuforo [email protected]
Technology is amazing and we have all grown used to being able to connect with the rest of the world at just the touch of our fingertips.
As one of the most convenient invention and popular techniques WiFi has provided many services as it should.
However, there are still risks when using public WiFi.
Cybercrime experts have warned against the use of free public WiFi saying that it is unsecure thereby exposing one to hackers.
But they agree that most people who rely on public WiFi to get online are willing to sacrifice security for access.
Specifically, Mr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, chief technical officer, Digital Encode, warned people to beware of using free WiFi because it enabled hackers to have easy access their personal data.
He said, “Nowadays when people go for events or lodge at hotels, they don’t care about the food and drinks but to have free access to public WiFi.”
Akindeinde said most people clamour for free WiFi not knowing the dangers associated with using it: “Using free WiFi exposes the consumer to hackers and in the process they get to view personal information like bank details, credentials and so many other things. Because the WiFi is free, it does not require any authentication before the hacker can have access to the network connection. Free public Wifi creates an amazing opportunity for the hacker to get unfettered access to unsecured devices on the same network.”
He said that biggest threat of free Wi-Fi was the capacity for the hacker to position himself between the consumer and the connection point, “Free WiFi usually has a costly price and only few people understand risks associated with public WiFi connection.”
He warned consumers to desist from this in order to protect themselves and also ensure that important business data remained safe.
Kevin Clark, an expert in cybercrime said, “Public Wi-Fi is inherently unsecure. Anyone using it ought to do so with the premise that everything you do is visible to a third-party stranger with access to that hotspot. The chances of you being hacked far exceed the chances of your home being burglarised. This is a big business.
“Public Wi-Fi is almost everywhere in stores, libraries and restaurants and soon on commuter trains and in stations but so is the danger. The best advice for users is not to be lulled by the convenience of Wi-Fi, to be skeptical and to take your own precautions to secure your computer and information,” Clark said.
Fran Rosch, executive vice president at Symantec, also explained that there is a deep divide between what people think is safe when it comes to using public Wi-Fi versus the reality,. “What someone thinks is private on their personal device can easily be accessed by cybercriminals through unsecure Wi-Fi networks or even apps with privacy vulnerabilities.”
Kevin Haley, director of Norton Security Response, in his own contribution said their research shows that many people believe companies wouldn’t offer free Wi-Fi if it weren’t safe. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case. And it doesn’t take a sophisticated criminal to hack into these public systems.
“Keep in mind that requiring you to use a password to access that hotspot doesn’t mean the connection is secure. The purpose of a password is to limit who can use the network.
It’s fairly easy for someone to listen in and capture your data when you’re on public Wi-Fi,” Haley said. “They can discover your log-in and password and also the data you’re sending and receiving.”
Even worse, they could be stealing this information and you’d never know it until something bad happens, such as unauthorized charges on your credit card or money withdrawn from your bank account.
Because it’s available to anyone, free public Wi-Fi, is inherently less secure than the wireless connection at your home or office. Cyber security expert Adam Levin, author of the book “Swiped,” said people need to understand this difference and act accordingly.
“Why would you want to go into a murky swimming hole where you don’t know if there’s an alligator there, if you can go into a pool where you can see the bottom and know there’s nothing dangerous waiting there for you?” Levin said.