Risk of Using Public WiFi Networks
With the ease of access, connectivity, and other features, the Internet has undoubtedly brought people together and made the world a more connected place than it has ever been. While the list of advantages the internet offers is endless, there are a few, alarming drawbacks as well.
There are occasions when agreeing to the data policies of specific absent software involves giving access to your data voluntarily, but there are also many times when infiltration and data gathering or a breach in the security of your device occurs without your knowledge. While the first occurrence was voluntary, the second may be consented to or opted out of based on the user's preference.
With all that being said, who doesn't like freebies? Be it an extra pack of chips at the mall. An extra soft drink with your order and so on. Similarly, data charges becoming a part of our daily expenses in the last decade or so. People have moved from considering the internet a luxury to now, considering it a necessity. The shift in ideology comes about with the widespread and hence the cheapening of data prices globally. The appeal to the masses has brought about a revolutionary change in the tech world and the world as a whole. Coming to freebies, people look out for every opportunity in life to curb their expenses and save a few bucks. No matter what socio-economic background you hail from. The natural human instinct prevails.
What people fail to realize is often these free stuff paired with another purchase or sometimes completely free are nothing but marketing strategies, gimmicks, surveys, etc. What seems like a simple offering to the customers is usually a planned trick of brands and organizations with ulterior motives.
While not always true. It is mostly the case. With data packs/charges becoming essentiality these days as aforementioned. People had started looking out for cheaper alternatives to cut down on the necessary expenses. As the supply and demand chain is what the corporate sector works on. Companies realized the need and started providing free wifi services to the masses in public spheres. With reputed brands to restaurants and malls among other places and more setting up WiFi around cities for people to use. Masses flocked in to make the most out of these freebies.
Similar to every other instance though, most of these services did more harm than good. While it did provide the masses with their wants. It took away from them unknowingly or in a nonnoticeable way their data and info. While this would not mean much to the commoners, when looked into it is indeed a breach of privacy and an unethical practice.
We list down 5 major risks/dangers of using a public WiFi network:
1. MitM attacks
A MitM or Man in the Middle attack is a form of eavesdropping threat. In a device, the information you send is sent from one point to another. As the name suggests, a MitM attacker due to vulnerabilities can breach this bridge of transmission, get in between, and read them. Hence breaching your privacy.
2. Unencrypted networks
Encrypted messages simply mean the information you have sent from your device to the wireless router for further transmission is in the form of encryption, a code, a secret message which cannot be deciphered by anyone unless they're authorized to do so. All routers come with the encryption turned off from the factory, are turned on, and set up accordingly by the IT professionals who are tasked with setting up these routers. While the encryptions are turned on mostly, there is no sure way to find out if that's the case in a public WiFi network.
3. Malware distribution
There are various methods by which attackers can secretly install malware on your computer because of software flaws. An operating system or software program security flaw or weakness is known as software vulnerability. By creating code that specifically targets a vulnerability, hackers can take advantage of this flaw and infect your device with malware. On a public network, everything is significantly simpler to execute.
4. Snooping and sniffing
Wi-Fi snooping and sniffing are exactly what they sound like. Cybercriminals can purchase specialized software kits and even hardware to aid them in listening in on Wi-Fi transmissions. This method can give the attackers access to everything you do online, including the ability to view the whole websites you've visited (together with any data you might have entered there), grab your login information, and even take over your accounts.
5. Malicious hotspots
Similar to rip-off products in the market where you might end up buying a commodity with a reputed brand tag to later realize a minor change in the name. For instance, a 'Nike' t-shirt or so on.
Rogue websites too, trick users into connecting to a WiFi network they may think of as legitimate owing to a reputed name being used. For instance, if you're at a cafe called 'Moonbucks' and you wish to connect to their WiFi. You would be tricked into thinking you had clicked on the correct WiFi connection when what you clicked on may sound similar but would be spelled differently somewhat like a 'MooonBucks'.
In doing so, you would have connected to a rogue network set up by cybercriminals who would then have by your permission access to all your personal and sensitive information.