Your employees and customers have all visited stores and cafes or navigated public transportation systems offering patrons free Wi-Fi. Most people have happily connected to these networks, hoping for a faster connection or a quick update from work. Even so, considering the myriad of public Wi-Fi risks should spark some hesitation.
Using freely available Wi-Fi can be dangerous, especially for your business. Do employees often use these networks on their work devices, innocently accessing all your company’s sensitive work information via these channels? Imagine how devastating it would be to realize that your company’s precautions have gone out of the window – and let out all your well-kept secrets.
How Do Public Wi-Fi Networks Put Data at Risk?
Unclear policies regarding public Wi-Fi usage could instantly undo all your hard work. Whether you connect to a public Wi-Fi network using your email address or your device connects automatically, there’s a real risk of data theft, ransomware, malware, and more.
Businesses have the best intentions when providing this service. Still, they don’t always invest in security measures to keep users safe. Thousands of people use unsecured networks, which would be fine if cybercriminals weren’t so crafty. Is your business savvy about different methods to steal information and create public Wi-Fi risks, including:
- Man-in-the-Middle attacks. Hackers collect data that passes over networks, including login credentials, emails, text messages, financials, and intellectual property.
- Evil Twin networks. Criminals set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to intercept user data.
- Unencrypted networks. Your data is visible to hackers with the tools and skills to tap into the connection. Without encryption, it’s also easy to collect.
- Malware distribution. Hackers can distribute malware directly to devices that connect to fake or infected networks.
- Packet Sniffing. Criminals hack into Wi-Fi networks and spy on everything a user does online for as long as they use the network.
Any of these attacks can spell disaster for your business. Awareness is the first step, but there is more you can do to prevent data theft.
Protecting Your Business From Public Wi-Fi Risks
Keeping your business safe requires thinking beyond the office walls. Your employees must be aware of the risks on their devices via unsecured networks. To that end, in addition to education, implementing strict policies and robust security tools are a must, such as:
- Use VPN encryption. A virtual private network hides the device’s unique IP address. It turns all the data a user shares into unintelligible code.
- Disable auto-connect on devices. Without this feature enabled, the phone, laptop, or tablet will only connect to networks that the user specifically requests.
- Avoid accessing or sending sensitive information. Only use public Wi-Fi to look up directions, read news, or do other low-risk activities.
- Turn off file sharing. No one using the network will see your files.
- Implement multi-factor authentication. Strong passwords and two-step verification stop hackers from breaking into your accounts.
Although it’s convenient, public Wi-Fi risks can outweigh the benefits. Remind your employees to use caution if your business would like to avoid costly consequences.
