Public WiFi System Scams.

The DT, today, points out that "Airport Wi-Fi is 'insecure' for using vaccine passport apps"

You log onto the NHS app using the airport wifi, and supply your health details, etc., to allow you to travel.

Sitting in the corner, of the airport cafe, is a scammer who creates his own wifi link, very like the airport one, and people get logged onto that wifi instead of the approved one.

Bingo, he has all your stuff!

What the paper does not mention is that the same thing can happen at the pub, in a cafe, in the golf club, you name it.

"There is nothing stopping anybody walking into public spaces and setting up their own public wifi" says the expert, "then all your traffic is potentially being captured".

Check the credibility of the wifi before using it!



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...holidaymakers/

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

Well, how do you check the credibility of the wifi, if it looks to be official? I don't use wifi outside apart from a moment or two on my phone (mobile data) so I don't know anything about this stuff. I doubt I would use anyone else's in a public place anyway.

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

You need a password to get into WiFi.

This will be given to you, by the facility, maybe even shows up on a notice in the shop.

The scammer sitting in the corner, with his laptop on his knee, will need to find a way to get you to use a password he creates.

Maybe he'll hand you a card when you come in?

Last week, at the golf club, we saw a customer trying to get to the NHS app, using his mobile & the Golf Club WiFi, outside on the patio.

Having seen a WiFi tag come up, on his mobile, he asked those sitting around for the password.

Someone (who might have been a scammer), shouted out the password & he used it.

Easy really!

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

The level that people stoop to doesn't cease to amaze me, Ted.

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

A good reason to use a virtual private network (VPN) connection when using any public WiFi network. The link to the VPN is encoded so useless to a scammer or anyone listening in.

Some of the antivirus companies are offering VPN as part of their service, there are plenty of commercial services or some WAN modems have a VPN facility so you can set it up at home if you have a fixed IP address.

Airport Wifi or even Maccas or council public facilities don't necessarily have a password to gain access.

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

There are even free VPN's available for phones which while not perfect will do the job for occasional users.
Anybody who has considered the security implications of their mobile phone usage that doesn't then take precautions of some sort has only themselves to blame IMHO.

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

Run your own VPN on a raspberry pi. Come to that plenty of routers will too but sfaik none of the ISP provided ones do. Don't forget that if you do your maximum download while using it will be your home broadband upstream which may be an issue for some.

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

What on earth is a raspberry pi?

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

Hi

A raspberry pie without the e

Re: Public WiFi System Scams.

I certainly wouldn't do anything of any value on a mobile device. If I posted on OFF from an airport lounge and didn't sound quite like good old me: good-humoured-all-round-nice-guy, of course you'd know I'd been hijacked by imposters, shrug it off and move on. Just ignore it. Or that's my excuse.