(Hackers) See why you should be careful of stealing/Using public Wi-Fi hotspots.

I think we all should know or  constantly told that we should be careful about connecting to free public Wi-Fi networks, although might  forget about been warned due to when we're away from home and need to get online in a hurry. But this new experiment by Czech security software, makers of Avast highlights why we really need to think twice before connecting up to Wi-Fi from unknown sources. The company set up a bogus honeypot hotspot showing just how easy it is seduce people into unwittingly giving up their personal data when they’ve connected to what looks like a legitimate  Wi-Fi network. To create the trap, Avast set up their honeypot in a highly trafficked public location: a registration booth in Barcelona Airport for uber-massive tech trade-show Mobile World Congress (MWC). With close to 100,000 attendees annually, the event brings in droves of tech-using travellers, many of whom would be reliant on Wi-Fi hotspots to get online.

The company’s researchers set up three separate Wi-Fi hotspots in the airport with network names (SSIDs) designed to look like they were legit internet connections for travellers or conference visitors: and named this Networks "Starbucks", "Airport_Free_Wifi_AENA", and "MWC Free WiFi". In only 4 hours, more than 2,000 people connected their devices to the bogus Wi-Fi networks, sending and receiving some 8 million data packets. To protect people’s privacy, the company did not store any of the data, but the amount of information they were able to glean from unsuspecting users in this short timeframe shows how exposed we can be when we connect to Wi-Fi sources intentionally set up as network spoofing attacks. Among the catch, Avast detected that: 61.7% of users searched for information on Google or checked their Gmail; 52.3% had the Facebook app installed; 14.9% visited Yahoo; and 1 percent used dating apps Tinder or Badoo. Further more , the researchers could see the identity of the device and user in almost two-thirds of the connections made.

The same kinds of techniques can be used to hack people in all sorts of nefarious ways, delving into any unencrypted data or passwords that can then be used to gain access to other personal accounts, including financial services. While many of us wouldn’t think twice about manually connecting to a Wi-Fi network called "Starbucks", simply assuming it’s an official hotspot, the problem is further compounded by devices that instantly jump onto available Internet sources.
Avast mobile president Gagan Singh said "Many individuals recognise that surfing over open Wi-Fi isn’t secure. However, some of these same people aren’t aware that their device might automatically connect to a Wi-Fi network unless they adjust their settings,"  "With most Mobile World Congress visitors travelling from abroad, it’s not surprising to see that many opt to connect to free Wi-Fi in order to save money, instead of using data roaming services."

So what’s the solution? As Avast recommends Solution and also practicalized and confirmed by Gistboxs Technicians, Here are solutions that helps secure your imformations when connecting to open Wi-Fineywork

• Using a virtual private network (VPN) service to anonymise and encrypt your connections is a good start.
•  Whatever you do, try to be mindful of where your Internet may be coming from, and don't simply assume that public Wi-Fi networks are safe and uncompromised. It can be tricky to identify which Wi-Fi networks are from legitimate providers – clearly anybody can spoof an authentic-sounding SSID – so be sure to look out for anything even slightly suspicious. For more information on how to secure yourself on public Wi-Fi networks..

Tweet