Public Wi-Fi is commonly available at many places today such as cafes, airports, trains, and many other locations. However, there is a growing concern about its security as the number of attacks targeting the public Wi-Fi users have also increased during the recent years. There are some key security issues with public Wi-Fi networks.
Attacker steal/edit information by redirecting your traffic to a device in between your device and the destination. They can steal your credit card details, login details/passwords, personal details and many more.
Attacks can infect public Wi-Fi networks with malware which then infect your devices when you connect to these networks resulting in ransomware or information theft including login credentials.
Attackers can eavesdrop or sniff your network traffic when you are on a public Wi-Fi network with the help of cheap/free software. They can monitor your web usage and steel your login credentials or sensitive data.
If you cannot avoid using public Wi-fi there are some measures you can take to increase your security:
A good alternative to public Wi-Fi is Eduroam Wi-Fi provided by the university. Some of the key benefits are,