Why Free Wi-Fi Hotspots Can Be Expensive for The User | Total Security

Free WiFi is popular and is used with pleasure: But what little to know or not want to admit: Free and unencrypted radio connections can be used to spy on important data or spread viruses even without IT expertise. In this blog post, you can read about the dangers lurking in public Wi-Fi, how you can protect yourself against them and why it is better to use cellular connections.

 

Whether in parks, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, or airports - public WiFi networks are available in more and more places. The Wi-Fi hotspots are extremely popular with users: they allow you to save your own data volume. Especially abroad, users like to use public hotspots. The reason: The data volume included in the mobile phone tariffs is limited.

 

Particularly critical data such as passwords for e-mail, social media accounts, or online banking should never be transmitted when away from home via public WiFi hotspots, but always via the cellular network. So that mobile surfing is not associated with high costs, even abroad. If necessary, the customer can book additional data roaming packages. The costs for this are, however, negligibly low compared to the damage that can occur when using a public WLAN. Because the free surfing pleasure has a big downside: Spying on personal data and installing malware on mobile devices is child's play.

Almost Everyone Takes Security Risks when Using Open Wi-Fi Hotspots

Many are hardly aware of these dangers, others ignore them. This is shown by the Norton Security Report, for which more than 15,000 users of mobile devices in 15 different countries were surveyed: Almost every second respondent assumes that their personal information is safe when using public WLAN networks. 87% said they took security risks in public WiFi hotspots, for example by accessing their personal email or bank accounts, or social media accounts.

If this data falls into the wrong hands, it can have serious consequences: As a person affected, you are suddenly no longer in control of your own e-mail account, your social media presence, or your bank account. You lose the control above about your digital self. And: If you enter a public WLAN with company devices, you are also endangering valuable company data. 

Smartphones Are Popular Targets for Hackers

If you use a public hotspot, you always run the risk of revealing your personal information. It doesn't matter whether you use a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Because smartphones k ö can easily and hacked within a minute are. “In the meantime, the creators of malware on smartphones are even more active than on desktop computers,” warns one expert. Devices with an Android operating system are particularly popular because of their widespread use. But even Apple devices are not safe from attacks, as this video shows. The tools for this are available on the Internet and are not particularly difficult to use. 

The Hackers' Methods Are Creative

Hackers are very creative when it comes to accessing personal data such as passwords for e-mail accounts or online banking accounts or installing viruses on mobile devices in public networks. They mainly use these two methods:

 

1. Lure with Fake Networks 

With this method, cyber criminals themselves offer hotspots - so-called WiFi honeypots. These have names that are confusingly similar to those of official networks or that seem plausible - for example the name of a restaurant nearby. The user, therefore, believes that they are moving within the network of the restaurant. But in fact, he has dialed into a hacker's network and reveals all of his data traffic to it.

2. Intercept, Evaluate and Modify Data

In a MITM attack, the hacker switches between the free hotspot and the computer of the unsuspecting user. The hacker can intercept the data and save it for later analysis, but also modify it and then forward it. With packet sniffing, similar to eavesdropping on telephone systems, the data packets transmitted between the sender and receiver are intercepted and evaluated.

These Measures Make It Safer to Use Open Wi-Fi Hotspots

Although the lure of free Surfvergnü gens large are ß, you should avoid public Wi-Fi connections as well as possible. If you still want to use this, you should take a few precautions to be able to work reasonably safely on the move :

1.    If you dial into a public WiFi network, you should at least be aware of this yourself. That sounds trivial, but it isn't. Because many users have set their devices so that they automatically connect to open networks. So if you come into a zone where public WiFi is available, your smartphone will automatically establish a connection. To remove the public hotspots from the list of saved networks or prohibit automatic connection. Or switch off the WLAN function completely if you do not need it. This also saves your device's battery.

2.    Nothing is private in an open WiFi network: Avoid certain websites that transmit critical data: Do not access your e-mail, social media, or bank accounts. Note that data is also transferred when using apps. Passwords that your browser has saved and that you no longer have to enter manually are of course also transferred when you call up the corresponding login page. Only simple surfing is harmless, although you should avoid sites with critical content. Because your surfing behavior is easily visible to others in public WLANs.

3.    With a virtual private network connection (VPN) you can encrypt the data you transfer with a high level of security. If a hacker intercepts your connection on a public WLAN, he would have to decrypt it to benefit from it. For many cybercriminals, this effort is too high. However, setting up or using a VPN is not that easy or there is a fee. The download speed will also decrease.

4.    Use SSL connections for websites that require you to enter credentials. This is how you encrypt your communication. SSL encrypts ü Esselte sites are identified by the HTTPS and a padlock icon in the address bar of your browser. Websites are often offered in an unencrypted and encrypted version. So that your browser automatically selects the secure version, you can choose the option “Always use HTTPS” for websites that you visit often or use browser add-ons such as HTTPS Everywhere.

Cellular Network Offers Better Protection Automatically

The effort to use open hotspots reasonably safely is therefore relatively large. It is easier to use cellular networks. Because these offer a higher level of security because the data flows over the network of a provider. They remain inaccessible to other participants. You can use your smartphone as your own hotspot using the tethering function. This allows you to securely connect several laptops and tablets to the Internet via LAN, Bluetooth, or USB.

 

The business tariffs from Protegent include unlimited data volume. This means that you can work anywhere in the world without having to think about threats and security measures. The tariff packages, which are specially tailored to the needs of companies, also contain the virus protection Protegent Total Security and also include VPN features on request. This guarantees fast, trouble-free, and, above all, secure communication.

Conclusion: Why Free Wi-Fi Hotspots Can Be Expensive for The User

We all always find free offers attractive. However, you should exercise caution when using open WLANs. Because if you don't take precautions, it will be child's play for others to get your personal data, your company's data, or to install malware on your devices. If you use the cellular network, you automatically enjoy a much higher level of security. In most cases, this variant is ultimately the cheaper solution. Because many dangers are lurking in open networks that can ultimately cost you very dearly.