In this generation, there’s nothing more exciting than being connected to a free WIFI. With free WIFI, you can do almost anything that strains your data plan. Most people will use free WIFI even to check their bank accounts and other sensitive information. Free WIFI is mostly found in public places which are commonly referred to as public WIFI hotspots. These places include cafes and restaurants, airports, public halls and even in waiting areas.
公共 WIFI 固然好，但大多数情况下并不安全，因为每个人都可以连接。这意味着，即使是怀有恶意的人也可以连接到它，从而对毫无戒心的用户造成严重破坏。
只需使用简单的工具，恶意用户就能通过公共 WIFI 获取他们想要的任何信息。以下是这些工具的工作原理；
- 中间人攻击（MITM）-- 这是恶意个人在连接到公共 WIFI 时实施的第一种攻击。在 MITM 中，个人会在网络流量到达目的地之前截获它。
- Spoofing – This is a technique of masquerading or imitating a legitimate entity. For instance, after a MITM attack, a malicious person can impersonate the receiver and send messages back to you. Malicious people can even launch a complicated attack; website spoofing. Unsuspecting users will log into/access the website thinking it’s the legitimate one.
- Snooping – Snooping is technically referred to as sniffing. Using this method, malicious people capture your internet traffic in terms of packets and analyze it.
- 窃听-基本上就是在用户不知情的情况下窃听某个公共 WIFI 上发生的事情，在窥探的帮助下，恶意人员就可以获取您的信息和对话。
Using the above techniques, malicious people can access everything they want in a network. Here what the techniques can uncover in an unsecured public WIFI;
1.IP 地址和 MAC 地址
MAC address is a unique physical address that is used to identify devices on a network. An IP address, on the other hand, is also a unique address that is used to identify a device and also enable communication via the network. Unlike the MAC address, an IP address is not physical. With these two addresses, a malicious person can impersonate you and perform other attacks which will, in turn, seem to come from your device.
2.登录凭证
With the techniques above, malicious persons can analyze authentication packets which will in turn show login credentials. They might include; FTP logins, email accounts and passwords, and so on. This information can then be used in other hijacking attacks.
3.发送/接收文件
Since a malicious person can intercept your traffic, he/she can see what you have been sending and receiving. He/she can further access those files and maybe alter the information or even worse delete them. If they are sensitive, they can be used to blackmail you.
4.网站
捕获的数据包可以实时显示您正在访问的内容。
如何安全连接公共 WIFI
使用 VPN
This is the ultimate tool that can help you avoid WIFI based threats and attacks. A reputable VPN provides security by encrypting all your internet traffic. This means that your data traffic will be scrambled and even if it’s intercepted, it won’t be helpful to the malicious person. A VPN also masks your real IP address as it assigns you anew virtual address.
In addition to security, a VPN can help you unblock and access restricted content in that particular website. It’s a win-win for you.
