5 Ways Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi to Steal Your Identity

We’ve all been tempted to use public Wi-Fi: it’s free, saves on your data allowance, and is always helpful in speeding up loading times.

You might love public Wi-Fi ― but so do hackers.

Here are just a few ways cybercriminals can get access to your private data and potentially steal your identity 10 Pieces of Information That Are Used to Steal Your Identity 10 Pieces of Information That Are Used to Steal Your Identity According to the US Bureau of Justice, identity theft cost victims over $24 billion in 2012, more than household burglary, motor, and property theft combined. These 10 pieces of information are what thieves are looking... Read More and what you can do to protect yourself.

1. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

The technological term, man-in-the-middle (MITM) What Is A Man-In-The-Middle Attack? Security Jargon Explained What Is A Man-In-The-Middle Attack? Security Jargon Explained Read More is an attackwhereby a third party intercepts communications between two participants. Instead of data being shared directly between server and client, that link is broken by another element. The uninvited hijacker then presents their own version of a site to display to you, adding in their own messages.

please enter a password that has 8 characters or less pic.twitter.com/ICtuHwR1uw

― Zach Leatherman (@zachleat) September 20, 2016

Anyone using public Wi-Fi is especially vulnerable to a MITM attack. Because the information transmitted is generally unencrypted, it’s not just the hotspot that’s public ― it’s your data too. You might as well shout out your details. A compromised router can vacuum up a lot of personal material relatively simply: just getting into your emails, for instance, gives hackers access to your usernames, passwords, and private messages, and plenty more besides 5 Ways Your Email Address Can Be Exploited By Scammers 5 Ways Your Email Address Can Be Exploited By Scammers Read More !

The most worrying thingis if you’reusing online banking 6 Common Sense Reasons Why You Should Bank Online If You Aren't Already [Opinion] 6 Common Sense Reasons Why You Should Bank Online If You Aren't Already [Opinion] How do you usually do your banking? Do you drive to your bank? Do you wait in long lines, just to deposit one check? Do you receive monthly paper statements? Do you file away those... Read More or exchanging payment details over emails or instant messaging.

What can you do?Don’t input any data if you see a notification that a site might not be genuine. Even if you’re desperate.A website’s credentials are checked using SSL/TSL certificates How Web Browsing Is Becoming Even More Secure How Web Browsing Is Becoming Even More Secure We have SSL certificates to thank for our security and privacy. But recent breaches and flaws may have dented your trust in the cryptographic protocol. Fortunately, SSL is adapting, being upgraded - here's how. Read More , so take warningmessages about authenticity seriously.

Public Wi-Fi might not be encrypted, but e-commerce companies like PayPal, eBay, and Amazon employ their own encryption techniques. (In fact, most major sites that request a password use encryption.) You can check for this by looking at the URL. If it’s an HTTPS address What Is HTTPS & How To Enable Secure Connections Per Default What Is HTTPS & How To Enable Secure Connections Per Default Security concerns are spreading far and wide and have reached the forefront of most everybody's mind. Terms like antivirus or firewall are no longer strange vocabulary and are not only understood, but also used by... Read More ― that additional “S” meaning “Secure” ― there’s some level of encryption. Aplugin like HTTPS Everywhere will force your browser into defaulting to encrypted transmissions where available.

2. Fake Wi-Fi Connections

Thisvariation of an MITM attack is also known as the “Evil Twin”. The technique intercepts your data in transit, but bypasses any security systems a public Wi-Fi hotspot might have.

A few years ago, Doctor Who showed the perils of technology , in particular the trouble caused by connecting to a malicious router. In that cas