Free public WiFi is an
easy way to access internet. And you don't have to pay anything. Except may be
with your data, that is if you are not cautious. Although the free internet
access points are a boon, especially to those who often have to travel, using them
is also fraught with risk.
The freely downloadable
"sniffing" software has made it easy for anyone to be able to hack
into someone's WiFi session and see what they're surfing. These software tools
are actually meant for IT administrators to troubleshoot network problems. But
like everything, they can be used for good or for evil.
So what do you do? Well,
keep on surfing internet through free Wi-Fi but just follow these 5 safety
tips:
11.
Prefer HTTPS encrypted
sites: Let's say you're grabbing lunch at your favourite cafe, waiting for your
order to arrive. You pull out your tablet and begin browsing some news sites
over the cafe's wifi to catch up on the latest headlines. Unbeknownst to you,
that guy in the corner is snooping on your traffic and can see everything
you're seeing. If the sites you're surfing are not https-encrypted, the guy in
the corner will be able to see everything you're seeing. And the majority of
sites still aren't - out of the top 100 most popular sites, only 25 use
encryption by default. Sites with HTTPS encryption is more private and can be
kept as confidential. So when on free Wi-Fi stick to HTTPS websites.
2. Watch out for that
hotspot: Beware of those unknown and strangely named WiFi connections showing
up in your phone list. With small hardware investment, a hacker or cyber
criminal can set up his own rogue WiFi hotspot that appears legitimate. If you
use it, he can not only see what you're seeing, he can also jump in and alter
what you're seeing. So you think you're logging into Gmail, but you're actually
logging into his spoofed Gmail page - and now he has your credentials. This is
known as a man-in-the-middle attack, and you can see some fun examples of it
being done in this video where three politicians were hacked. This kind of
attack is more complicated, but it can still be picked up pretty quickly in
online tutorials.
3. Use VPN: VPN stands
for Virtual Private Network. It creates a secure connection so that your public
WiFi connection will be protected from snoops. Even with their sniffing tools,
all they'll be able to see is encrypted gobbledygook.
4. Turn off your WiFi
when not in use: With WiFi switched on in your phone, tablet or laptop, your
phone's terminal is open even if you have not connected it to any access point.
Though the risk factor is not huge in this case but any hacker can try to
access your phone through bogus router. Also keeping your WiFi off when not in
use saves your phone's battery.
5. Say no to silly and
repeated passwords: Having one passwords for multiple accounts is the silliest
thing you can do to put your phone security at risk. In case a hacker manages
to procure that one particular password, you very well know the repercussions
of it. He/she can get an access to several accounts of yours. So always choose
strong and unique passwords.
Thanks for learning from this blog
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