Vacations, bathrooms, public WiFi: Guess which one not to choose? August is here and most people are getting ready for summer vacations . Since, therefore, many are going to use public WiFi to surf the internet…we don’t want to spoil it for you but…a hacker might be vacationing on the same island as you this year. Be very careful with the networks you connect to because as we mention below, the number of users who “irresponsibly” choose public WiFi is high!
BullGuard research found that nearly four-fifths (79%) of public Wi-Fi take significant risks when choosing a hotspot to connect to, often failing to check that the network they are connecting to is legitimate.
Overall, 86% of WiFi users put convenience over security when choosing hotspots, while nearly two-thirds (63%) of people who connect to public Wi-Fi daily have their devices set to “connect to the strongest WiFi” or “automatically connect to Wi-Fi hotspots that have been used before.”.
BullGuard research found that users often choose a WiFi based on Wi-Fi strength, whether the name seems appropriate or simply whether it is free.
However, hackers often create networks that look legitimate to trick users and steal their personal data.
It is worth noting that more than a third of WiFi users connect to personal accounts that require a password, 22% use credit cards and 31% connect to online banking on potentially dangerous connections.
"Hackers can easily create malicious hotspots that appear legitimate and can monitor and record people's personal data, allowing them to steal usernames, passwords, credit card details, bank account information and more," the research states.
Using a VPN would protect many users, but the survey showed that 60% of users do not use a VPN, while 57% of respondents say they find it too complicated or that they do not know how to use it.
