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Not all Wifi networks are created equal. And some can even be detrimental to your privacy and data. Before you leave your home and rely on a brand new Wifi connection, take advice from tech experts who know: this is the one Wifi network you should avoid using at all costs, according to those in the know.
Free Public Wifi
It’s completely free and you can access it just when you need it: like when you’re out at a coffee shop and want to look up an interesting fact or search for your favorite T-shirt on a shopping site. But free public Wifi is not all it’s cracked up to be — it can be extremely detrimental to your data and privacy.
“One Wifi that everyone should avoid by all means is free public wifi because the encryption standard that protects all modern Wi-Fi networks is not secured enough and sensitive information can easily be accessed using this Wi-Fi network,” says Katherine Brown, founder and marketing director at Spyic. “This includes details that were understood to be encrypted. Today’s Wi-Fi standards are flawed and should not be trusted. One of the biggest threats with free Wi-Fi is the ability of cybercriminals to place themselves between a connected device and a connected area. So, instead of connecting directly to the hotspot, one can end up sending confidential information to cybercriminals. The criminals can then access all the information such as emails, phone numbers, credit card details, business data, the list goes on. And once a hacker has that knowledge, he has the power to blackmail or even bankrupt you.”
Eric McGee, Senior Network Engineer at TRGDatacenters, agrees: “You should avoid using public WiFi because majority of free WiFi hotspots do not offer any form of encryption,” McGee says. “This exposes you to a wide range of security risks including hacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, eavesdropping, malware attacks, interceptions, and data breaches. The best WiFi network to use is a private one that is hidden from public view, is set to run on WPA2 encryption, and that has an updated password. If this is not possible, then a mobile hotspot or cellular data are viable and more secure alternatives to free WiFi hotspots.”
Brown says that any WiFi network with a good VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the safest way to use any network either private or public. “It is an essential tool for people to keep their information secure when accessing WiFi networks,” Brown says. “VPNs encrypt data and act as a secure link between the user and the server. All information passed through this link will not be visible to any cybercriminals and they will not be able to access information and activities.”
