Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi Without Checking These Settings First |
Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi Without Checking These Settings First
Connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, especially one with poor security, comes with real risks. Here’s how to stay safe.
BY REUT HACKMON, FOUNDER, GUARDIANCE GROUP
Illustration: Getty Images
Avoiding public Wi-Fi altogether is almost impossible. Even though most of us know we probably shouldn’t connect to a random coffee shop’s network—and we’ve heard somewhere that there might be security concerns—we often think, what’s the worst that can happen?
The actual risks remain vague to most people, so let’s start by changing that.
What are the real risks of using public Wi-Fi?
There is always a slight chance, depending on where you are, that somewhere nearby there could be someone engaging in malicious activity. It’s not the most common scenario, but it’s not impossible either.
When it does happen, it could be as simple as someone attempting to trick your device into connecting to a fabricated network that looks legitimate, commonly known as an “evil twin” attack, or by interacting directly with devices on the same network if protections are weak.
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In this case, this bad actor could capture your login details, take over an active session, or gain unauthorized access to accounts connected to your device.
How secure is the network?
The main issue is, we simply don’t know the level of security behind a public network, or whether protecting users is even a priority in that location. If another device on the same Wi-Fi can see or interact with yours, that already puts you at greater risk. This kind of poor configuration can support an attacker’s attempt to place themselves between your device and the destination, sometimes referred to as a man-in-the-middle attack, or even to interact directly with your device.
That would allow them to scan for exposed features such as file sharing or other services that could be enabled without you realizing it. That could result in unauthorized access to shared files, exposure of sensitive data, or even installation of malicious software if conditions allow.