The Risks of Public WiFi

Public WiFi networks in cafes, airports, hotels, and co-working spaces are convenient but inherently insecure. Without proper controls, connecting to public WiFi can expose business credentials, email, and cloud applications to interception. This guide explains the main risks and what steps reduce exposure when staff need to work outside the office.

Where public WiFi risks appear

Public or guest WiFi is typically free, unprotected by a password, and open to anyone. It appears in shopping centres, hotels, cafes, airports, train stations, and libraries. For people working on the go, it seems like a convenient alternative to a phone hotspot or a dedicated 4G or 5G service. But because public WiFi is often unsecured and accessible to everyone on the same network, it creates real opportunities for interception and attack.

Home network vulnerabilities

Working from home on a home network can be just as problematic as public WiFi. Home networks are nowhere near as secure as an office network, particularly Managed WiFi backed by your MSP IT Services Provider. Two common threats create vulnerabilities on home networks.

Weak passwords. Having a memorable password may be handy when you need to recall it, but if a password is memorable there is a chance it is also easy to guess. Passwords are recommended to be over 14 characters, a mix of upper and lower case letters, and including numbers and special characters.

Unknown activity from WiFi users. Even if you practise safe browsing and cyber security habits, you cannot be sure that other users on your home network do too. Viruses can be picked up from dodgy emails or websites by anyone on your home network and soon infect your device.

Risks of Compromised WiFi Connections

Free or unprotected WiFi can easily be hijacked and could lead to your device, accounts, and data being compromised. Here are some common risks that occur from public or compromised WiFi.

• Theft of personal information and data. If you are on public WiFi or an infected home network, anyone could be monitoring your internet activity. Banking credentials, passwords, and other sensitive data can easily be scraped without your knowledge when working on unsecured WiFi.
• Compromised business data and breaches. Working from home means you are no longer working on one centralised and secure network. Instead, team members are working across numerous different and perhaps unsecured networks. If one device becomes infected, spoofing emails, data breaches, or other types of attacks may be orchestrated.
• Malicious hotspots. Also often referred to as rogue access points, a malicious hotspot will spoof a legitimate network that is otherwise reputable. Hackers will set up spoofing pages or entire networks and trick users into connecting. From there, whatever you browse or disclose through your device can be accessed by the hackers hosting the spoofed network.
• Cyber attacks. Compromised WiFi is another low-key way for hackers to plant viruses and orchestrate cyber attacks on your device without your knowledge. For example, a hacker may install keystroke logging software through a compromised network. They will then watch what you type including passwords and other sensitive information.
• Packet sniffing. Although this is less common now that most websites use HTTPS, packet sniffing can still occur on unprotected networks. Packet sniffing is a tool that allows hackers to eavesdrop on your internet activity whilst on an infected or compromised network. This allows hackers to intercept your internet connection and from there steal your sensitive data and information.

Dos and Donts for Public WiFi

Do not

• Allow devices to automatically connect to public WiFi
• Browse or log in to any sensitive accounts such as banking or MyGov when using public WiFi
• Use any website that is not HTTPS as these are not protected and can be intercepted by hackers

Do

• Use a VPN to protect your connection
• Switch to a personal hotspot from your phone or a USB 4G or 5G service
• Log out of sensitive accounts if you must use public WiFi
• Establish complex passwords for your home network

Managed WiFi

Milnsbridge’s comprehensive Managed WiFi solutions focus on optimal performance, reliability, security, and scalability to give your business a competitive edge. Whether you are working in an office, from home, or on the go, Milnsbridge’s Managed WiFi solutions will keep your network reliable and secure. Additionally, if your business chooses to run a guest WiFi network, Milnsbridge will fully optimise it to our Secure Operating Environment standards so that users of the guest network can browse without worry about potential breaches.

Working from Home

Working from home on potentially unsafe home networks could be risky for your business and its data. Milnsbridge offers comprehensive work from home solutions including tailored solutions to establish VPNs. It also includes remote access software for team members. This reduces the risk of infected or compromised home networks threatening security for businesses.

Secure Operating Environment and 2FA

Partnering with a Managed IT Services provider such as Milnsbridge ensures that your network and devices are all secure. Our Managed Security services and Secure Operating Environment practices include best-in-class anti-virus, email spam protection, EDR software, and much more to proactively detect and shut down attacks should they arise. Similarly, two-factor authentication in conjunction with good password practices can reduce the risk of your accounts being compromised on public WiFi. You can read more about Managed Cyber Security.

Milnsbridge specialises in cloud managed WiFi, security, and work from home solutions. If you are interested in discussing IT Support services, call Milnsbridge today on 1300 300 293.