public wifi data privacy

Public WiFi Data Privacy

Travellers beware: the dangers of public WiFi and data privacy

International travel is rebounding as vaccinated tourists board flights and book accommodation with a vengeance.

If you’re joining the wave of post-COVID travellers, chances are you’ll find yourself in an airport, bus station, or public area that offers convenient free WiFi – but you’ll want to think twice before joining public networks which pose major security risks.

one in four travellers has been hacked through public WiFi

Don’t let it be you

Public WiFi may seem like a convenience designed to make travel easier, but it holds many dangers from a data security standpoint.

  • 2022 statistics from Nord VPN reveal that 25% of travellers become victims of attacks against their personal data
  • Worryingly, many of these events take place via public WiFi

Here are several tactics that cybercriminals use to compromise public WiFi data privacy and some tips to prevent it from happening to you.

are you sure that’s the right WiFi network?

That network called “airport WiFi” may not belong to the airport at all.

  • Criminals have been known to create their own WiFi hotspots that impersonate public WiFi networks.
  • Once unsuspecting users connect to these networks, their personal details – including banking information – can easily be stolen.

To avoid falling prey to these scams, always verify the name of the official WiFi network in the location you’re connecting from.

Better yet, travel with a data dongle or use your own cellular data to make bookings and other important transactions where your personal information is being transferred online.

unsecured means no-go

If the public WiFi network you’re attempting to join says “unsecured”, stop right there. This type of network is extremely high-risk, and your data could be seconds away from being compromised.

no VPN? your WiFi data privacy is at risk

One of the surest ways to keep your data safe is by using a VPN service that creates your own private network if you simply have to use public WiFi. This will make it extremely hard for cybercriminals to access your devices.

To ensure that your information is safe, wherever your travels take you, secure cloud storage is your best line of defence. We’d love you to view our range of packages for individuals and home users and choose the one that best suits your needs.