Staying Safe Online: Public WiFi
Beware public WiFi.
When you’re on the go and you urgently need WiFi for your smartphone or device, it’s rare to stop and think about the safety of the network you’re consenting to join. After all, when so many free networks give us the connection we need without causing any problems, it’s easy to overlook the threat that open networks post.
But the fact is that this poses great risk. While we’re led to believe that elite and sophisticated hackers breaking into our government in infrastructural networks are the biggest threat in a cyber security sense, the reality is a lot more mundane. In fact, the biggest risk to our personal data security comes from open public WiFi networks found in hotels, coffee shops, transport stations, and the like.
This risk is due to the the kind of “man in the middle” attacks, wherein “an attacker can insert themselves into the connection, perhaps by pretending to be the coffee shop network themselves, and then intercept and modify traffic on the fly.” When this happens, a user has no idea that their every keystroke or click is being monitored by this third party, as they assume they are on a secure network. Even if the network itself is secure, that doesn’t stop users on the same network from taking advantage of unsuspecting computers.
There have even been trends of hackers utilising short-stay rental options like Airbnb to find targets using what is known as the “paper clip” trick. This happens when hacker simply sticks “a paperclip in the reset button of the router lets any attacker gain full admin rights over the router because they can reset the credentials and take control.” From there, they can intercept all future traffic on the network, long after they’ve checked out of the listing.
So what can internet users who are frequently in need of public WiFi do to keep themselves safe from these unsafe actors? A little common sense and a few extra tools will help you:
Trust the network: If you’re walking down a busy city street searching for WiFi and you see a network obviously labelled “FREE WIFI,” think twice. Do you know who owns this WiFi or why it’s free? It could easily be what’s called a “honey-trap” wherein hackers offer a desirable service—free WiFi on a busy street—and you will pay dearly in return. If it seems too good to be true that a public space would have free, unsponsored WiFi, then it probably is – avoid it.
Make use of a VPN: It’s always good to encrypt your browsing if you’re on a network that you don’t trust, even if it’s seemingly innocuous browsing that you’re doing. Utilising a VPN will simply give you the peace of mind that no one is watching your every move, and it requires little effort on your part. <!––>Find out more about what a VPN is and how it could help keep your browsing secure on this blog post.
Be a sensible browser: If you can’t encrypt your traffic, don’t be careless and browse sensitive websites or enter banking information on public WiFi. These activities should only be done on a network that you are owner of or that you know is secure.
Disable sharing: There are settings on most devices that allow for file sharing across a network. Disable this function when you are on a public network so you’re not making it easier for a hacker to gain access to your files.
Use HTTPS or enable SSL wherever possible: While many websites like Facebook and Gmail do this automatically, it’s prudent to make sure you’re browsing securely no matter what website you’re visiting. Using HTTPS and SSL simply “encrypts the data passed back and forth between your computer and that web server and keep it away from prying eyes,” which is always a good idea when you’re on a public network.