In the Internet era, we rely heavily on WiFi. Connect to a public WiFi network at a local coffee shop, restaurant and more or an unsecured free WiFi provided by someone we don’t know is commonly seen in our daily life. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, public WiFi comes at a price.
Who stole my personal information?
Many netizens lack safety awareness when using public WiFi. Hackers get easy access to private information, while you know nothing about it. Though encrypted, the files and pictures on your device are available to others. Your twitter comment and post something you even don’t know. Then you will wonder who accessed your privacy.
How was my privacy invaded?
Research shows that netizens can just get hacked with a mobile phone. When you use public WiFi provided by shops, you are totally disclosed to hackers connecting to the same network. They position themselves between you and the WiFi hotspot so that the information ought to be sent to the WiFi directly is transferred to hackers instead. All your privacy, including bank card information, passwords for your social media account and so on, are clearly viewed.
In addition to the security concerns associated with these public WiFi services, hackers have also been known to offer free WiFi with a similar name but without a password to attract Internet users. Take McDonald’s for example, hackers build their own WiFi with the name McDonald_Free, and people who stop nearby to have a rest are likely to fall into the trap. Once connected to this WiFi hotspot, all your Internet packets are forwarded by the hacker’s device to save and analyze. Some unencrypted communications can be directly viewed, and hackers can easily know what you are doing online. Free access to the Internet is like streaking across the Internet, with no privacy at all.
Tips on protecting privacy in public
- Be careful when using a public WiFi. You’d better check with the staff of the WiFi provider before connecting.
- Remember not to do anything related to any personally identifiable information.
- Regularly change your passwords for important accounts.
However, more and more traffic needs lead to inevitable use of WiFi. Sometimes, there is only unsecured public free WiFi for you. Now that you’ve understood the risks of public WiFi, you may want to know how to protect yourself in such a condition. We sincerely recommend you to use a VPN which builds a secure tunnel between you and the Internet. Try our easy-to-use RitaVPN to prevent you from hacker attacks.