Free Wifi Security is something important to consider when you use it .
There are two things that can ruin a perfect holiday such as waking up to an empty bank account.
Let’s start with why using public Wi-Fi networks is risky in the first place.
Free Wi-Fi, but at what price?
So you were bored at the airport and decided to connect to that free Wi-Fi network, to get some last-minute work done before you turn your
email notifications off for one blissful week. Some times it may expose to you to security threats.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, everything comes at a price. And if you use a free Wi-Fi network to make online payments, this might end up being your most expensive mistake. Public wireless networks are so vulnerable that even your
technologically challenged mother could learn how to hack them.
OK, that may have been an exaggeration, but they truly are very easy to spy on.
Man-in-the-middle attacks or spoofing, Wi-Fi sniffing and
malware are the main weapons hackers use to steal the information you expose while
using public networks. What are they after? Everything. Could be your passwords, banking details, full chat history or even those unflattering selfies you meant to delete.
A virtual playground for hackers
If you think all hackers are braininess, you’re wrong. It may not be a complex task to break into an unsecured wireless network.
Google search result can provide information on free hacking software and this may lead to misuse.
This is called sniffing and it exposes your entire online activity – the contents of your emails and chat sessions, your passwords and credit card info. By the way,
inflight Wi-Fi networks are notoriously vulnerable to this type of
snooping, so your bank account could be drained by the time you reach your destination.
Man-in-the-middle attacks is an advanced way of hacking in to other accounts. Using a simple Wi-Fi device, hackers can set up fake networks with names that sound perfectly legitimate. So if that open “
FREE Hotel Wi-Fi” is tempting, think of the risk before you connect.
It may not take much time for a hacker to poke holes in your wireless network and sneak some vicious malware in, which then gives them full control over your computer, including your files, webcam and microphone.
Rules To Follow While Using Free Wifi
If that got you panicked, take a deep breath and calm down. With a little bit of caution, you can fend off snoopers and attackers. Read our tips and burn them into your memory.
1. As is often the case, abstinence is the best form of protection. Don’t connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, especially if they have a suspicious name. If you do use public Wi-Fi, stick to browsing, watching your favorite shows or playing music. Don’t do any online banking and don’t communicate any sensitive information via chat.
2. If you visit websites that require your login details, make sure they’re secure (the address should start with https:// instead of http://). Redirection to an ‘http://’ after logging in means you’ve jumped back to unsecure browsing
3. Use a
VPN to encrypt your passwords and hide your online activity. This adds an impenetrable layer of discretion to your browsing sessions.
4. Turn off file and printer sharing on your computer. On Windows, you’ll usually find this setting in Control Panel, under ‘Network and Internet’, and ‘Network Sharing Center’. OS X users can change these options from their System Preferences, under ‘Sharing’
5. Make sure your firewall is enabled
We all use Wi-Fi for our
personal gadgets like smartphone and laptop. And moreover, we love to use public Wi-Fi as it is
available for free in our local coffee
shop, airport or in a shopping malls.
Free Wi-Fi Security Measures makes it easy to get online. Free Wifi make make your life easier .But, there are few risks while using free Wi-Fi like security threat, personal data hack and more. But taking few precautionary measures may help you .
Do you take any extra measures to protect your data while browsing from cafes, hotels and airports? lets share us with in comment box.
