A CYBERSECURITY expert has a warning for anyone who accesses public Wi-Fi.
You could be putting your bank details and personal information at risk by making a common mistake.
Bryan Sevener, the CEO of Valor Technologies, told TMJ4 News: “Public Wi-Fi comes in kind of two varieties. Unsecured and secured.
“Really steer away from anything that’s unsecured.”
Cybercriminals have been known to set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces with names similar to that of an official network.
You may spot this in an airport, cafe, or another area where there is legitimate public Wi-Fi that can be taken advantage of.
In need of a Wi-Fi connection, victims access these networks without realizing that cybercriminals are waiting to steal their information.
If you do connect to public Wi-Fi, even if you think it’s secure, there are a few things you shouldn’t do.
Sevener added: “If you’re going to log into personal websites, your bank, whatnot, you should always make sure you utilize two-factor authentication.
“If you can, use a VPN, make sure Wi-Fi’s secure, and that you’re on the right website.”
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If in doubt, don’t access your banking apps or personal accounts while using public Wi-Fi.
Victims can unwittingly give hackers access to all the bank details they have stored on their devices.
This is something the FBI has also issued several warnings about.
The FBI said on its website: “Be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network and do not conduct any sensitive transactions, including purchases, when on a public network.”
The best way to stay safe is to only connect to Wi-Fi networks you trust.
If possible, try relying on your data until you find a legitimate Wi-Fi network to connect to.