Should you use public Wi-Fi? Aren't you putting your credential information at risk?

Nowadays, most of us use a private Wi-Fi network for internet service. But when we go out of the house or travel somewhere, we rely on public Wi-Fi and as you will see, that’s not exactly a great idea. 

One of the most common threats with free Wi-Fi is 'Man-in-the-Middle' (MITM or MiM) Attack. It is a way to make a connection between two users which is monitored and modified by an unauthorized party. By using this technique, the cybercriminals can easily intercept the data sent through the public Wi-Fi network.

Another risk factor of public Wi-Fi network is fake public Wi-Fi. These networks are named almost identical to the genuine public Wi-Fi networks so that people are tricked into connecting to these fake networks. Usually, devices connect with the strongest available known network. With a device for example, 'Wi-Fi Pineapple' an attacker can set up a fake Wi-Fi network in order to capture and analyze your internet activities.

Now let's consider connection security on a legitimate public Wi-Fi network. When a device gets connected to a public Wi-Fi network, it becomes part of that network. This allows the device to become connected to all the other devices connected to the same network. So, if you run outdated software, not that difficult for a hacker to hack into your device. Penetration tools like Metasploit are used in this case. This tool is capable of identifying the vulnerable points of a device on the network along with a list of security holes. Hackers use this information to get access to the desired device. Cybercriminals also use a public network to spread malicious activities via an insecure Wi-Fi connection. But these type of incidents can be avoided by keeping devices updated and having the firewall enabled.

So, the best way to keep your data safe is not to use public Wi-Fi as anything you do on a public Wi-Fi network is NOT secure. However, if the situation is such that you absolutely must connect to public Wi-Fi, then the following suggestions may improve your network security:

• Verify the legitimate Wi-Fi connection: Be sure to ask one employee of the organization to verify the legitimate Wi-Fi network and password.

• Avoid checking your Personally Identifiable Information (PII): While using public Wi-Fi, you should not touch any PPI including passwords/ security number, banking information, home address or any other confidential information.

• Use Virtual Private Networks (VPN): If you need to check the credentials like bank information connected through a public network, use VPN. VPN creates a secure connection to another network over the Internet. It's a tunnel between you and the VPN server. All the internet traffic is encrypted and sent through this tunnel making it invisible for anyone connected to that public Wi-Fi network. That means it is not possible to mess with internet traffic.

• Use SSL certified connection: Make sure that you have enabled the "Always Use HTTPS" option on websites that you visit frequently, including the websites that require any type of your credentials.

• Turn off sharing: Keep file sharing off while using public Wi-Fi. Otherwise, cybercriminals can get access to your sensitive information.

• Turn off the device's Wi-Fi when done: Even if you are not working with Wi-Fi, your device's Wi-Fi hardware can transfer data to any network within that range, which can be a security issue. So, it is safe to turn off the Wi-Fi at the end of work.

  

The bottom line is that a better, but potentially expensive solution would be to use Wi-Fi by turning on the hotspot consuming mobile data.

So now...it's up to you to decide how you will use the public Wi-Fi! 

Keep your surfing safe and secured! 💓