In today’s article we will talk about What are the risks and dangers of connecting to a Public Wifi network? Before we start with the topic, we will see a brief introduction to better understand what we talk about in this article. When we talk about Wifi we refer to a technology, which allows us to wirelessly have internet on various electronic equipment.
To make use of this technology, It is necessary to have a router with which we will connect all the devices that we have. Another device that we will need is a Modem, which will transform the signals that are analog into digital and then be sent to the router, ending the cycle by sending all this data to our device. With the advancement of technology there are devices that serve as Modem and router, helping us save money.
Another important point to understand the Wifi is the networks. Each Modem and Router they have a different Wi-Fi network that has different characteristics from the others, either its speed, internet access, internet service, etc.
Most of these networks have a password, which is established to increase the security of the devices and prevent the internet from slowing down. Some of these networks are Public, but can bring certain risks for us.
Taking this contextualization, we can delve into the issue that concerns us today. We will see the risks to which we are exposed when connecting to a Public Wifi network, to finally explain some tips on how to reduce or avoid these risks, always preferring that you can change that public network to private.
What are the risks and dangers of connecting to a Public Wifi network?
As we explained above, there are private Wi-Fi networks that have a password to connect, while public Wi-Fi networks do not have any password, being available to anyone who wants to use this internet for free.
Thanks to their free access, public Wi-Fi networks represent a risk for whoever uses the network, having a great variety of these. Next, we will know some of these risks that we present when connecting to Public Wifi networks, explaining each of these dangers.
- The most common danger is data theft. Our data runs the risk of being perpetrated by a third party, which You can perform any type of action with them violating our security. On some occasions, depending on our security, or the information that we have provided using the Public Wifi network, a very important theft of banking data may occur.
- In Public Wifi networks we have another big problem, being the infection of a device with some malware. Of the most common malware when browsing the internet in general, there are ransomware. The use of public Wi-Fi networks usually present a greater risk for those who use it due to their vulnerability
- Monitoring and storage against our will. As our connection to a public Wi-Fi network is intercepted, we have the risk that all our actions taken are at risk, greatly affecting our privacy.
These are some of the risks that we present when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, which could lead to a great tragedy if not prevented. Luckily, below, we will see how to avoid and reduce the risks that Public Wifi networks present for our electronic devices.
How to reduce or avoid the risks of connecting to a Public Wifi network?
We have already seen the risks we have when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, but we cannot finish this article without first giving you some tips with which we can reduce these risks. Next, we will give you some of the most important for good protection in public Wi-Fi networks.
- The most basic thing we can do to protect ourselves is avoid browsing banking websites or websites of great importance to us. In this way it will be difficult to locate our data. One step further is to log out of any application or page with a password.
- Using a VPN can help us strengthen our online security, serving for public Wi-Fi connections and even for the internet in general.
- Finally, we must keep our Wifi off outside the home, deactivating the automatic connection to prevent our device from automatically connecting to a Public Wifi connection.