Be Careful when Browsing the web on a public Wifi

Did you know that if you use public coffee shop Wi-Fi, your data could be at risk. A hacker can steal your photos, your usernames and passwords, and your texts within seconds and without much effort. In order to secure your information and avoid identity theft, you need to know how to prevent hackers from Wi-Fi eavesdropping.

Hackers can see traffic and steal your information in two ways:

1. Over public Wi-Fi

Hackers can clone the login pages of legitimate access points, and unsuspecting consumers can be duped into thinking that they are logging on to Starbucks’ or Dunkin’ Donuts’ Wi-Fi. This hack is not limited to public coffee shop Wi-Fi: consumers have fallen victim at airports, college campuses, hospitals, and even on the subway.

Once the consumer logs into the hacker’s cloned page, the hacker has access to the information stored on the consumer’s device. In fact, some hackers are taking it a step further, by requiring consumers to install an update in order to view the Internet. Once the consumer clicks on the update, it automatically downloads an app, which runs in the background and pulls anything the hacker wants.

2. Listening in on Your Internet Traffic

Hackers and other tech enthusiasts are using wireless network analyzers to capture Wi-Fi signals. These hackers can see traffic going to websites, and which consumers are sending or receiving email. If the consumer uses an app to connect to his or her email service using POP3 without encryption, the hacker will see his or her login credentials.

The wireless network analyzer virtually plucks consumer information, seemingly out of thin air. According to PC World, it’s similar to listening in to someone’s walkie-talkie or CB radio conversation. Hackers can see traffic such as unencrypted instant messages, and can hijack unsecured logins to popular websites such as Amazon.

It’s Easy to Protect Your Data

You can prevent hackers from Wi-Fi eavesdropping with secure VPN, for less than you may think. We use Private Internet Access, a great brand that can be set up on multiple devices – for example your phone, tablet, and laptop – at the same time. Secure VPN encrypts all your communication over public networks, and no one will be able to find out which website you’re browsing or what usernames and passwords you’re using.