Currently, in any bar or restaurant, even in public spaces, there is a WiFi network to connect to. We can think that the connection to this network is safe and that there is no problem to access it. Also, connect to a Wi-Fi network That open it’s a very bad idea from a security point of view.
There are many reasons why accessing public WiFi is inadvisable and even more so if it is unprotected. One of the main reasons is the lack of maintenance of these networks, which makes it easy for them to not be properly updated against vulnerabilities. Also, this WiFi network may be fake, exposing our social media passwords or worse, our bank.
Connecting to public Wi-Fi is a high-risk activity
There are several reasons why I am not using a WiFi network of a public establishment. One of the main reasons is that the router used is installed by the owner of the restaurant, bar or other establishment and that’s it. This is common bad practice, as there are periodically security updates that patch vulnerabilities that third parties can exploit. Some make it possible to intercept passwords and other user data.
One of the vulnerabilities the greatest of public WiFi networks clone themselves. There is a mechanism called “The Man in the Middle” or “The Man in the Middle” which steals personal information. It’s as easy as create a WiFi network of the same name that of the restaurant or very similar, with the same password. Anyone can create this replica and anyone who logs in will have their data exposed.
As Chema Alonso explains in the video, creating a WiFi network is very simple. All smartphones allow you to create one with the name you want and without the need for passwords. Consequently, one can never be sure that the network belongs to the establishment in which one is or to the public space. Could someone make a fake WiFi and steal all data without realizing it.
It is so easy, as Chema explains, to steal the username and password of Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and other services, even banking credentials. So we can see ourselves in a very serious real problem if that happens. So, when you are going to connect to a WiFi network, you must think about it because it could expose your data with this simple man-in-the-middle method.
Can I protect myself from these types of attacks?
you can always protect yourself against this type of malicious action. The first solution is to have a bundle of mobile data be unlimited. Currently, all companies offer them and have very competitive prices. Thanks to this mechanism, unless we have no coverage, we can access the Internet without problems and without worrying about the amount of data we are uploading or downloading.
Nail alternative to this they are VPN forest. For those who are not who they are, it is essentially the generation of a encrypted virtual tunnel between your smartphone and a company’s servers. Although there are free VPNs, such as those offered by Proton, they are usually paid. The free ones can be saturated and offer very low speeds. These services are generally affordable, between 5 and 10 dollars per month and are very safe. Moreover, you should not only use it on your mobile to connect to a public network, you should always use it, even at home.
