Free WiFi, free WiFi, read all about it
With the news that the EU Commission initiated a free WiFiprogram(WiFi4EU), I can’t stop to wonder how many people know what free WiFi actually means. It means NO payment, NO security, NO privacy.
Did you know that anyone connected to the WiFi hotspot could capture the data traffic sent from your device, and there are simple, free apps available for this purpose? Basically this means that anyone(with some IT knowledge) could spy on you and see all your internet activity.
Does this mean that hackers can steal your password or see your private conversations? Yes and no. If the website you are using is using a secure connection(like Facebook, Google, Youtube and other respectable sites do), your login information is safe. But if the page is not encrypted all information that is send from your computer can be intercepted by a third party.
Realistically speaking, the chances that you are doing some sensitive activity on an unencrypted site are slim. But there is a chance that you may be accessing a clone of the original website. Most free WiFi hotspots are not properly configured and still have the default login credentials for administering the network, so anyone can login into the router and alter the DNS settings. I’m not going to get too technical on this, but by altering the DNS settings hackers will make you access their clone of the website, even though you type www.facebook.com in the browser and you see a green bar(secured connection).
And if you care about your privacy you might wanna know that regardless of the encryption state of the website, your browsing history can still be monitored. Sometimes even the provider of the free hotspot is monitoring you for advertising or monetization purposes.
These are only a handful of ways your security or privacy can be compromised but, depending on the hackers know-how, there are countless more.
Is there any hope for humanity?
Yes: Virtual Private Networks (VPN). There are very few people that understand or even know what a VPN is, but they do improve privacy and security a lot.
So, what is a VPN service? A VPN service is an online security tool that aims to protect your online privacy. It routes your internet traffic through a secure, encrypted tunnel and keeps your online data away from the prying eyes. This means that anyone who tries to sniff your internet activity and data will only see encrypted data sent and received from the VPN server.
Nobody except your VPN provider(not even the Internet Service Provicer) can see your web activity. It’s important to know that every VPN providerkeep some kind of logs(even though they may say they don’t). Some even share your data with advertising agencies or government. Therefore, it is advised to go through a VPN provider’s privacy policies before deciding to opt for one. But really there is no reason to be alarmed, because most paid services have a non disclosure/no monitoring policy.
I personally use Pure VPN. They have 24/7 support, unlimited traffic, good speed, multiple VPN protocols, great encryption, a lot of locations to choose from and a solid privacy policy. A if you’re thinking using a VPN is to much of a headache, don’t worry, is just a matter of installing an app and filling 2 fields: username and password. That’s all, you are now secured.
So, based on this new information you have just acquired, are you going to think twice before connecting to a public wireless hotspot?
