How to Browse Safely on Public Wi-Fi? Antivirus Software

Retailers understood that providing free Wi-Fi to their customers was a great way to keep them in-store for longer spending their money. As a bonus, these free Wi-Fi networks can collect important information about your interests and preferences - data that can be used to create tailor-made advertising campaigns.

For many of us, public Wi-Fi networks are essential for staying in touch with our family, friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, these networks also present significant security risks.

Go beyond the "man-in-the-middle attack" (also called the man-in-the-middle attack)

Historically, the biggest risk a user would run was called the “man-in-the-middle attack”.
At the most basic level, hackers are able to capture information circulating on a public Wi-Fi network, allowing them to steal sensitive data such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Cybercriminals are always looking for new and very creative ways to take advantage of their victims. Researchers found an example in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where a public Wi-Fi network had been compromised to mine a cryptocurrency called Monero.

A local Starbucks Café's network was set up so that a Monero cryptocurrency mining app was downloaded to every computer connected to the café's Wi-Fi. Once installed, the user's computer would begin a series of complex operations to "mine" Monero. Any currency that was successfully extracted was then sent back to the hacker's digital wallet.

Since the cryptocurrency app was installed in silent mode, few users noticed the issue. They might eventually notice that their computer was slowing down, as the cryptocurrency application "stole" resources to perform calculations and decrypt data.

After being alerted to the problem, Starbucks fixed it and thus prevented any future hacks.

A little reminder to use public Wi-Fi wisely

No one really knows how many computers have been hacked at Starbucks, but any device connecting to the network would have been in danger. And since the whole process was completely invisible, most users wouldn't have had a clue that their computers were in danger.

This is an important reminder to use a public Wi-Fi network safely and securely. You will find a very useful list of checks to be carried out to avoid falling victim to cyber-attacks on a public network here. These instructions should be followed each time you connect to a public network.

You can also significantly reduce the risk of becoming the target of hackers by installing antivirus software on your devices. The  Security antivirus range offers Wi-Fi protection as standard. Dome has been designed to simplify the process of connecting to the public Wi-Fi network safely.

Antivirus makes it easier to manage and maintain the security process. Added to an efficient VPN like ours, which adds an extra layer of security to all your devices, you have a much better chance of fighting hackers using cryptocurrency.