Be alert to dangers of public Wi-Fi networks
Europol issued a warning this week about security risks associated with the use of public Wi-Fi networks. Whenever a mobile phone, tablet or laptop is used with an unsecured network in a restaurant, cafe or other public place, it is vulnerable to attack.
There are two major methods used by racketeers. The first is a rogue hotspot. Imagine you are relaxing at the Taverna Timon team in Thessaloniki. You search for Wi-Fi and see an open network call Timon–WiFi. You assume it is provided by the proprietors for their customers, but it may not be. It could be running from the laptop being used by the guy with the crumpled suit and a Rolex who seems to be on his seventh coffee.
The other is the ‘Man in the Middle’, named after the ball throwing game in which a player in the middle tries to intercept the ball passing between two others. It can also be run by that shady, ill-shaven scammer in the corner. In this case, his laptop intercepts every message you send, scans it and passes it straight on and then picks up and passes on every response from the net.The interference remains undetected.
There has been a significant increase in the frequency of these forms of deception. While it is generally safe to use public Wi-Fi to collect general emails, catch up with social media and browse the Internet, the advice from Europol is to never use passwords, financial account details or similar sensitive information on such networks.
When away from home, in unfamiliar surroundings, and reliant on Wi-Fi to stay in touch, these risks will be at their most acute.
