Shannon Curkendoll researches cyber security to help clients understand and reduce Wi-Fi risk.
Cyber criminals continue to come up with new ways to gain access to your electronic devices and, in turn, your most personal data. According to Komando.com, numerous new hacking techniques have emerged in just the past few months that exploit small flaws in routers, browsers and Wi-Fi security. SureCloud recently published a report on how password auto-saving features of internet browsers and unsecured home routers can put you at risk. It’s important to stay up-to-date on cyber secuity issues to better understand and reduce Wi-Fi risk.
“By renaming a malicious Wi-Fi access point to impersonate yours, a hacker then waits until your gadget connects to the fake router under his/her control, hoping that you won’t notice the difference. Once connected, the hacker can then have full control,” Komando reports.
Home Wi-Fi routers aren’t the only systems that are vulnerable. Few public Wi-Fi services have secure routers, even in locations where you might expect high security.
Cloud security company Coronet released a report in July that studied Wi-Fi security in America’s 45 busiest airports. According to the report, to maximize traveler convenience, most airports provide free or low-cost Wi-Fi. Regrettably, Wi-Fi security is often sacrificed in exchange for simplicity, leaving networks unencrypted, unsecured or improperly configured.
“Until such time when airports take responsibility and improve their cyber-security posture, the accountability is on each individual flyer to be aware of the risks and take the appropriate steps to minimize the danger,” stresses Dror Liwer, Coronet’s chief information systems officer. This advice applies to users of any public or unsecured Wi-Fi.
“Most of the time, individuals find themselves hastily connecting to public Wi-Fi networks to save themselves from overage charges on their phone bills,” wrote Justin Dolly, Malwarebytes chief security officer, in an opinion piece at CSO.com. “Investing in an unlimited data plan will not only eliminate your need for accessing insecure Wi-Fi networks, it will also often allow you to use your mobile device to create a personal internet hotspot.”
A personal hotspot creates an encrypted wireless network, which prevents people on devices near you from accessing your network without a password.
If you’ve used public Wi-Fi, SureCloud recommends that you clear your browser’s saved passwords and don’t save credentials for unsecured HTTP pages. Also delete saved open-networks and don’t allow automatic reconnection.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]