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.
Les dangers du Wi-Fi public
Les dangers du Wi-Fi publicPublic 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.
Points d'accès malveillants - Il s'agit de points d'accès Wi-Fi publics frauduleux qui ressemblent aux points d'accès originaux ; il s'agit d'imitations malveillantes. En se connectant à ces points d'accès, les cybercriminels peuvent facilement accéder à votre appareil.
Furetage et reniflage - Ces méthodes permettent d'écouter les conversations, mais l'auteur de l'attaque restreint ce qu'il veut. Par exemple, un cybercriminel peut choisir de n'écouter que les données financières.
Comment être en sécurité sur les réseaux Wi-Fi publics
Using public Wi-Fi without the necessary precautions is a big risk. Here are ways you can stay safe on public Wi-Fi;
Assurez-vous de visiter un site sécurisé
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.
Ne donnez pas trop d'informations
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.
Désactiver le partage de fichiers
Le partage de fichiers est le moyen le plus simple d'obtenir des fichiers lorsque vous êtes connecté à un réseau Wi-Fi. C'est aussi le moyen le plus rapide pour les cybercriminels de voler vos fichiers ou d'introduire des logiciels malveillants dans votre appareil. Pour plus de sécurité, assurez-vous toujours que le partage de fichiers est désactivé sur tous les appareils que vous utilisez pour accéder à un réseau Wi-Fi public.
Éviter d'accéder à certains types de sites web
Les cybercriminels recherchent toujours certains sites. Grâce à l'écoute, au reniflage et à l'espionnage, un cybercriminel peut savoir quand des sites web spécifiques sont consultés. Ces sites traitent généralement d'argent ou d'autres informations confidentielles. Il est préférable d'éviter les opérations bancaires en ligne lorsque l'on utilise un réseau Wi-Fi public.
Utiliser 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.
