When you need to check your email or post something on social media on the go, do you turn on your mobile data or connect to the first free WiFi network you see?
If you do the latter, you’re making the same mistake one in five Brits are making – risking a potential connection to a fake WiFi network just to get quick, free Internet access.
Why is that a mistake? We’ll tell you in this quick article. Also, we’ll show you how to protect yourself from cyber threats with the best VPNs for the United Kingdom.
What Happens If You Use Fake WiFi?
What’s the harm anyway? So some random person sees what sites you’re browsing – so what?
It’s not just that. A skilled hacker could deploy their own fake network, trick your device into connecting to it, and then monitor your unencrypted traffic with a packet sniffer (like Wireshark). If they’re good enough, they can intercept your data packets before they reach HTTPS sites. Once they do that, they can steal sensitive information like:
# Login credentials
# Credit card numbers
# Bank account details
And that’s not all. Since the hacker knows what sites you’re visiting, they can run MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks, and redirect your connections to phishing sites.
For example, if they know you’re sending connection requests to paypal.com, they can intercept and redirect your connection to a fake site like paipaI.org.xyz. If you’re in a rush, you won’t notice the different URL, and will happily type in your username and password. The cybercriminal will log them, and later use that info to break into your PayPal account and empty it.
What’s the Easiest Way to Protect Yourself?
The obvious answer would be to use mobile data instead. But come on – not everybody has unlimited data plans, or wants to pay for extra data just because they spend an hour a day chatting on Facebook or browsing Reddit during their commute.
So what’s the solution then?
It’s really simple – just use a VPN. It’s an online tool that hides your IP address and encrypts your Internet traffic.
That sounds cool, but how does it protect your data?
Here’s a very simple explanation:
1. You use a VPN app to connect to a VPN server. The two establish an encrypted connection between them (called a “tunnel”). Ideally, you should do this before connecting to the WiFi network (so using mobile data).
2. From then on, whenever you browse the web, all your traffic and requests pass through the VPN server before reaching websites.
3. Because your data is in the VPN tunnel, it’s encrypted end-to-end. That means only the VPN app and server can decrypt it.
4. If hackers try to spy on your traffic with packet sniffers, they’ll only see gibberish. So instead of a request to “https://bank.barclays.co.uk,” they’ll see a random string like this: 47A395F12F91BBAF5C658C95DF4D38B191C3502D0D400E297C8CA09F86C470FC.
So as you can see, you’d be perfectly safe on both unencrypted WiFi networks and fake hotspots.
Plus, since the VPN hides your IP address, cybercriminals can’t use it to track your online movements, spam you with malicious ads, or DDoS you.
Sounds good?
Great – just make sure you use the best VPNs for the United Kingdom to get real data security. Follow that link to check out a very helpful guide from ProPrivacy to the most secure VPN options for people in the UK.
How Else Can You Protect Your Data from Fake Networks?
VPNs are a great start, but you shouldn’t stop there. Here’s what else you can do to stay safe:
1. Use Antivirus Protection
A VPN can secure your traffic, sure, but it can’t protect you from malware infections. The best it can do is block your connections to malicious and phishing domains. But if your device does get infected, there’s nothing the VPN can do.
That’s why you need antivirus protection (ideally, on all your devices). Always keep the program’s security features enabled, and run regular scans and updates. If you’d like some recommendations, try out Malwarebytes or ESET.
NOTE: An antimalware program is the same thing as an antivirus program. A virus is a type of malware, after all.
2. Use Password Managers
These are online tools that act like digital vaults for your passwords. They store and encrypt them in one secure place. You only need a master password to access and use them.
How do they protect you from fake WiFi?
It’s simple – they have an auto-fill feature that automatically fills in login fields on sites you’ve whitelisted. That means hackers can’t:
# Monitor your traffic to steal your passwords. They’re automatically filled in by the encrypted service, so they can’t use packet sniffers or keyloggers to steal them.
# Redirect you to phishing sites. The password manager will either alert you about the malicious domain, or it won’t fill in the login credentials (it only does that for sites you’ve previously approved).
Some good services include 1Password and Dashlane.
3. Avoid Free WiFi
We know, free WiFi is irresistible. It’s always there when you need it, and you don’t need to buy a coffee or ask anyone for the password to use it.
But no password means no encryption. Sure, VPNs, password managers, and antivirus programs can keep you safe from hackers, but why risk exposing yourself to them in the first place?
If possible, always stick to secured networks that require a password. Sure, WPA2 (standard WiFi encryption) isn’t really safe either, but you’ll be much less likely to end up on a fake network that’s run by hackers.
Have You Ever Encountered a Fake WiFi Network?
If you did, how did you keep your data safe? And how did you know it was a fake network? Do you have any security tips you’d like to share with the rest of us?
Please let us know in the comments or on social media.
