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.
公共 Wi-Fi 的危险
Public 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.
恶意热点 - 这些是看起来与原始热点相似的恶意公共 Wi-Fi 热点;它们是具有恶意意图的仿冒品。连接到这些热点会让网络犯罪分子轻易访问您的设备。
窥探和嗅探 :这两种方法有助于窃听,但攻击者会缩小自己的目标范围。例如,网络罪犯可以选择只窃听财务细节。
如何确保公共 Wi-Fi 安全
Using public Wi-Fi without the necessary precautions is a big risk. Here are ways you can stay safe on public Wi-Fi;
确保您访问的是安全网站
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.
不要透露太多信息
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.
关闭文件共享
文件共享是连接到 Wi-Fi 网络时获取文件的最简单方式。这也是网络犯罪分子窃取你的文件或将恶意软件植入你的设备的最快方式。为了安全起见,请始终确保您用于访问公共 Wi-Fi 的所有设备都关闭了文件共享功能。
避免访问特定类型的网站
有些网站是网络犯罪分子的目标。通过窃听、嗅探和窥探,网络犯罪分子可以知道特定网站的访问时间。这些网站通常涉及金钱或其他机密信息。使用公共 Wi-Fi 时最好避免使用网上银行。
使用 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.