It isn’t often that tech experts agree on any one thing, but when the topic of whether or not you should connect to public Wifi came up, most agreed: the service should only be used sparingly — and there are a number of reasons not to rely on it.
“Life almost comes to a standstill without the access of the internet,” says Tech Expert Atish Ranjan at Feedbeater. “If you are traveling or for any certain reason unable to get access of your own internet connection, you might give a thought at trying to connect to a public WiFi connection. Before you think of using a public WiFi, you should be aware of all the risks involving it.”
Tech experts agree: this is the scary reason you should never connect to public Wifi.
There Are Too Many Risks
Put simply, the risks you take when you connect to Wifi in public places such as libraries, stations, cafes, and shopping malls are often too great to make the benefits worthwhile. “There are always risks of theft, misuse and loss of your personal data, malicious attacks and many more such issues while you are logging into a public Wi-Fi hot spot,” Ranjan says. Ranjan advises keeping the following points in mind when using public Wifi:
Misuse of personal data
“One of the worst risks while using a public Wi-Fi is misuse and theft of personal details such as private data, personal credentials, pictures and videos,” Ranjan says. “Hackers can have easy access to your important details such as personal login credentials, bank details, professional data and affect you personal as well as professional life.”
Distribution of malware
“Distribution of malwares such as viruses, Trojan horses, Adware, Ransom ware and more such worms in your devices is a very common threat you may face while using a public Wi-Fi connection,” Ranjan says.
Insecure connection
“If you login to any unencrypted website from a public Wi-Fi connection, there are greater risks of cyber attacks, malware distribution and loss or misuse of personal and professional data,” Ranjan says.
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Online attacks on business
“If you have an online business, logging in to your business page from a public hot spot is quite dangerous,” Ranjan says. “Your bank details, details of your business and customers can be easily availed by online attackers while using a weak public Wi-Fi.”
Eavesdropping
Hackers or anyone with a sound knowledge about internet software and applications can eavesdrop on your personal data if they are using the same public Wi-Fi connection as you are, according to Ranjan. “They can view and control what you send or receive on your device and risk your personal and professional life:
Using a public Wi-Fi always has its share of risk but if you have no options left other than using a public hotspot, you can follow the below mentioned steps to protect your device from cyber attacks.
Try not to share your personal data while you are using a personal Wi-Fi connection.
Avoid logging in to websites that involve your personal or bank credentials.
Try using a VPN (virtual Private Network) service that will help you to encrypt all the data you receive or send.
Use 2-Factor authorizations that will make your connection secure and prevent the risk of data loss.”
