Why You should not Use an Unsecured WiFi Connection?

Free is not always attractive & beneficial, and if you are getting something free you must judge the reason behind this.  To illustrate this phrase, we take the example of Free WiFi that you find in cafes, parking lots and maybe your neighborhood. You can also call these connections as unsecured WiFi as there is no guarantee that your data will remain secure.

When you are connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi, hackers can capture your entire information, you are sharing online. This can be your login information, id & password or banking information. Some of the dangers of using an unsecured Wi-Fi includes.

• Hackers can collect information about your most visited websites and launch attacks from those websites when you visit them.
• You may be redirected to a phishing website, where you may end up sharing your personal or credit card information.
• Cybercrooks may hijack the account you are logged in and use it for wrong purposes such as sending spam messages or circulating virus.

To help you remain safe from an unsecured WiFi connection, we are putting down some tips.

• You should make some setting changes on your smartphone to prevent it from connecting automatically to any open WiFi. Best option is to manually choose your WiFi
• While you are carrying out an urgent online banking transaction, always go for a secured Wi-Fi network connection even if you have to pay for it.
• You can disable the option of file sharing on your PC. This is a good step to prevent attackers from stealing your personal data.
• While you are connected to a free WiFi, do not access websites that require you to login and enter your personal details. Some websites may also demand your financial details. Example a shopping site, where you need to put your credit card info.

Always create a strong password, which can be a combination of alpha-numeric, upper case-lower case. Do not use your date of birth or your pet name as these pieces of information can be easily acquired or guessed.

Better, if you can use separate passwords for different accounts. This will help you remain less affected if one of your accounts gets compromised.  Most of us have the habit of checking OK on ‘remember password’ or ‘remember me ‘ options due to which we often increase the chances of getting targeted.  Abstain from using this option on your PC and mobile.

Never run your computer without installing an anti-malware, which protects your PC from getting attacked by hackers. Antivirus can do a lot to keep you safe from dreaded ransomware attacks.