PR89502

LONDON, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Digital privacy expert discusses unsafe public Wi-Fi with hackers in closed

online forums

With Japanese returning to cafes, malls and increasingly using metro, subway,

trains, public Wi-Fi has become a golden opportunity for cybercriminals.

"People are always looking for ways to reduce the amount of mobile data they

use each month, which leads many people to use free wi-fi spots, especially

while out and about in town. Unfortunately, public places make a good cover for

hackers who can easily set up malicious hotspots and steal people's data,

without you even realising," says Paul Ashton, Japan Country Manager at

NordVPN.

Daniel Markuson, digital privacy expert at NordVPN, discussed the risks of

unsafe public Wi-Fi with a couple of hackers in closed online forums.

What makes public Wi-Fi unsafe

From NordVPN study, hackers agreed on two common points that can make any

public Wi-Fi hotspot vulnerable. These are poor router configuration and lack

of a strong password. They claim it can take a couple of minutes to start

peeking at confidential information sent from a device connected to unsecured

Wi-Fi.

If you're lucky, the snooper may just read your browsing activity. But in the

worst-case scenario, they can steal all your sensitive information, including

passwords and credit card details.

As your device is constantly looking for trusted Wi-Fi networks, stalkers can

use these connection requests to find out where you live. It's enough to type

it on public website that creates heatmaps of Wi-Fi hotspots, such as Wigle.net.

How to stay safe

Daniel Markuson, provides some useful tips on what you should do to protect

your devices and information they hold.

- When connecting to Wi-Fi in a coffee shop or hotel, always double-check the

network name with a member of the staff.  Remember, hackers might create fake

Wi-Fi hotspots using names that look trustworthy.

- On public Wi-Fi, avoid visiting sensitive websites, logging into your social

accounts, and never perform any banking transactions. Public Wi-Fi is best for

browsing the internet.

- Enable your firewall. Most operating systems have built-in firewall, which

keeps outsiders from going through your computer's data.

- Use a VPN (virtual private network). Reliable VPN will make sure your online

connections are private and no sensitive data can get into the hands of

criminals.

- Remember to turn off the Wi-Fi function on your device when not using it.

https://nordvpn.com

Source: NordVPN