Ensure safety when using public wifi

Many users often have the habit of connecting and using wifi in public places such as coffee shops, hotels, airports, etc. to access social networks, shop online or make online money transfers. Although it is convenient, connecting to public wifi is potentially at risk of losing information security, becoming a "fat bait" for cybercriminals.

Cyber security experts warn that the danger level of using public wifi is very worrying, most hackers often take advantage of the connection to take control, insert malicious code to exploit security holes on the user's device. Moreover, it is now quite easy to set up a fake wifi access point, through which hackers can easily steal information, most commonly using the Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) technique.

In fact, there have been many cases of users having their personal information and bank accounts stolen. Ms. VNT (in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City) said that she often uses public wifi to surf the web and shop on e-commerce platforms. After each access, she receives many fake messages from financial companies and banks with content inviting her to borrow money or pay for some online transactions, along with links sent via text message to confirm the transaction. "After careful investigation, I found out that bad guys had hacked in, stolen information, and lured her to access fake links to steal her property," Ms. VNT said.

According to Mr. Mai Trung Dung, Director of Information Security, Verichains Cybersecurity Company, it cannot be denied that the popularity of public wifi networks has brought great convenience in accessing social networks and conducting online transactions. However, this also entails some security risks. Cyber security experts at Fortinet have warned of the risk of unsafe online shopping when using public wifi networks. Accordingly, there are 3 common threats to users today: accessing public wifi networks, fake e-commerce websites and software that steals credit card information.

“To avoid risks when using public wifi, users can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to encrypt transmitted data and protect personal information from eavesdropping. Public wifi should only be used for simple surfing or reading news. In cases where it is necessary to handle important transactions such as online shopping or money transfers, it is best to use data on your phone. In addition, credit institutions and banks recommend that users should not use public wifi to conduct online transactions,” Mr. Mai Trung Dung shared.

BUI TUAN

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