Before determining the using public wifi risks it is important to understand what public Wireless Fidelity is.
Today we cannot imagine our life not only without smartphones and computers, but also without access to the Internet. Wherever you find yourself, in the subway, in a store, in a foreign country – everywhere there will be public Wifi available that will allow you to get in touch with the virtual world.
Unlike a private wireless connection, a public Wi-Fi network has fewer restrictions. Those in a dedicated network area can largely use a public Wi-Fi hotspot without paying or providing p and onal information.
On the one hand, this mass accessibility helps a lot, but keep in mind that using public Wi-Fi is often a risk to the security of your data. We’ll talk more about why is public WiFi dangerous in the next part.
Why You Should Avoid Public WiFi
What is the danger of using public Wi Fi connections if any? Unfortunately there’s not a single reason why you should avoid public WiFi when it comes to making transactions, especially cryptocurrency ones.
Free WiFi isn’t that fast, but while you’re connected to it, a “local area network” (LAN) connection is established fairly quickly. This connection allows other users to scan your computer for common services and open ports.
On a LAN, you can find a huge number of open hard disks all in the same place. You can easily connect to a shared resource (public Wi-Fi) and send/receive files without the user likely even realizing that someone is accessing their PC’s resources.
Monitoring your devices is half the battle. The lack of security of public Wi-Fi can be a weakness for cryptocurrency holders. For example, in 2017, a bug was discovered in the Wi-Fi secure access protocol. As a result, sensitive information of cryptocurrency wallets and their private keys are no longer confidential. Therefore, try not to conduct financial transactions while connected to the public Internet. Try to take all necessary precautions and be especially vigilant if you are a cryptocurrency holder.
Risks of Public WiFi
When connecting to Wi-Fi, there is no guarantee that the network uses any security protocols that can provide public WiFi protection. If it doesn’t, there are more than one risk of using public WiFi:
| Risks | Implications |
|---|---|
| Risk of Data Loss | Logging into your social networks and banking applications can help fraudsters take advantage of an unsecured network and gain access to your sensitive data including passwords and pin codes |
| Risk of Losing Cryptocurrencies | In addition to identity data, cybercriminals are after digital assets. By conducting cryptocurrency transactions over a public WiFi network fraudsters can clone your cryptocurrency wallet or worse hack into it and leave you with empty pockets |
| Risk of Going into Debt | When gaining access to your bank, don’t assume that you’ll just have all your money stolen. There is a chance that, thanks to the data and access you have gained, you could be subject to large loans |
| Phishing | Cyber hackers may send phishing emails or pop-up notifications to a user’s device in an attempt to trick them into providing sensitive information |
How to Stay Safe on Public WiFi
In the previous part we have mentioned what security risk does a public Wi Fi connection pose. Now it’s time to find out how to protect yourself on public WiFi.
Protect your device as much as possible. Installing a firewall of some kind can help ensure the security of mobile devices. These applications control network activity of apps, protect against leaks of important information, filter and monitor traffic.
It is important for cryptocurrency owners to keep their device and antivirus updated. Also, don’t forget about HTTPS and virtual private networks (VPNs).
How to use public Wi Fi hotspot safely? If possible, try not to connect to public networks. But if the case requires it, do not hesitate to check with the staff of a cafe or shopping center, whether the network you plan to connect to is authentic and belongs to them.
When conducting cryptocurrency transactions try to work on trusted platforms such as Cryptomus, which utilizes a considerable list of security measures for its users. Including whitelists, 2FA, KYC and so on.
What can you undertake additionally while thinking on how to safely use public WiFi? You can recognize scammers. Try not to go to suspicious and fake websites that may be coded by hackers as safe platforms, when in fact they are not.
These measures may help you to avoid public WiFi risks.
Tips for Using Public WiFi
Use these tips to embrace the public WiFi security:
- To avoid the danger of using public WiFi, turn on automatic updates of your security software, operating system, and Internet browser to keep up with the latest protections;
- Don’t forget to disable file sharing;
- Try to use mobile Internet in public places to avoid public WiFi security risks;
- Strive to avoid any financial activity when using public networks, including cryptocurrency transactions.
