The internet is the primary driving force of the current digital phase. Due to this, the internet is available abundantly in the form of public Wi-Fi hotspots. These hotspots can be found almost everywhere including hotels, cafés, at the airports, waiting for terminals and even at your favorite beer spot. As much as public Wi-Fi is a good thing since you don’t have to pay for it in most cases, it’s also where most imminent internet threats and attacks lurk.
Peligros del Wi-Fi público
Peligros del Wi-Fi públicoPublic Wi-Fi usually attracts large crowds, and this is a jackpot for malicious actors such as cybercriminals. With so many people, cybercriminals can harvest a lot of data, here are some dangers associated with public Wi-Fi;
Eavesdropping – Malicious actors in public Wi-Fi can secretly read or gain access to your private conversions without your knowledge. It’s in these conversations where they find something to blackmail you
Man-in-the-middles (MITM) attacks – This is a more advanced form of eavesdropping in that the attacker acts as a middleman between you and your destination. So, whatever you do on the public Wi-Fi, the attacker gets it. It’s even complicated when the attacker decides to play both sides, for instance, the sender and the receiver.
Puntos de acceso maliciosos - Se trata de puntos de acceso Wi-Fi públicos fraudulentos que tienen un aspecto similar a los originales; son imitaciones con intenciones maliciosas. Conectarse a estos hotspots facilitará a los ciberdelincuentes el acceso a tu dispositivo.
Snooping y sniffing - Ayudan a espiar, pero el atacante restringe lo que quiere. Por ejemplo, un ciberdelincuente puede optar por husmear solo detalles financieros.
Cómo estar seguro en una red Wi-Fi pública
Using public Wi-Fi without the necessary precautions is a big risk. Here are ways you can stay safe on public Wi-Fi;
Asegúrese de que visita un sitio seguro
When visiting sites on public Wi-Fi, ensure that they are HTTPS. You can know this by looking for the word https in the URL address bar when the website has finished loading. HTTPS sites are secure since the connection will be encrypted. HTTP means the site is not secure and cybercriminals can easily snoop on what you are doing.
Additionally, most HTTP sites are usually spoofed. Attackers usually host sites masquerading as the original sites on public Wi-Fi. Through this, they can harvest lots of usernames and passwords.
No des demasiada información
Sometimes you might connect to malicious hotspots or even legit public Wi-Fi hotspots that ask too much information at the sign-up process. If they want details regarding your phone number, email address and other identifying information, don’t bother connecting. Also, always have an alternative email that is designated for public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Desactivar el intercambio de archivos
Compartir archivos es la forma más fácil de conseguirlos cuando estás conectado a una red Wi-Fi. También es la forma más rápida en la que los ciberdelincuentes pueden robar tus archivos o introducir malware en tu dispositivo. Para estar seguro, asegúrate siempre de que el intercambio de archivos está desactivado en todos los dispositivos que utilices para acceder a una red Wi-Fi pública.
Evite acceder a determinados tipos de sitios web
Hay algunos sitios que los ciberdelincuentes siempre persiguen. Gracias a la escucha, el olfateo y el fisgoneo, un ciberdelincuente puede saber cuándo se accede a determinados sitios web. Estos sitios suelen tratar con dinero u otra información confidencial. Es mejor evitar las operaciones bancarias en línea cuando se utiliza una red Wi-Fi pública.
Utilizar IPBurger VPN
This is the ultimate and the most effective way to stay safe on public Wi-Fi. All you need to do is sign up for the VPN service, install IPBurger VPN in the devices you are going to use on the public Wi-Fi and then connect the VPN before doing anything online.
IPBurger VPN will keep you safe on public Wi-Fi by encrypting all your internet traffic. Its strong encryptions will ensure that no prying eyes will get to see your data. Furthermore, IPBurger will also mask your IP address by assigning you a new IP address from the server location you will choose.
