Nowadays, everyone wants to take advantage of free internet access. It's easy to connect to Wi-Fi networks in public places, but this carelessness creates an easy path for cybercriminals to hack into your phone. Unsecured Wi-Fi networks are particularly vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.

How does hacking happen through free Wi-Fi?

Fake Wi-Fi networks: Hackers create their own fake Wi-Fi networks with names that look like the real ones (like 'Free_Airport_WiFi'). Once you connect to them, all your data goes through their servers.

Data theft: Open networks lack encryption. This allows cybercriminals to easily track your typed passwords, social media chats, and credit/debit card details.

Malware threat: As soon as you connect to some fake Wi-Fi network, malware or spyware gets automatically downloaded in your phone.

5 tips to use public Wi-Fi safely

Don't open banking and UPI apps : Never perform net banking, UPI, or any other financial transactions while connected to public Wi-Fi. Use only your mobile data.

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): If you're forced to use free Wi-Fi, turn on a reliable VPN app on your phone. A VPN encrypts your internet data, making it unreadable by hackers.

Keep the 'Auto-Connect' option off: Go to the Wi-Fi settings of your smartphone and always keep the 'Auto-Connect to Open Networks' option off so that your phone does not connect to any unknown network without your permission.

Only visit HTTPS websites: Only visit websites that have https:// followed by a padlock in their browser address. Don't enter any personal information on websites without an 'S' (http://).

PC: Amar ujala