Europol warns users of WiFi hotspot security risks
Europol, the law enforcement agency for the European Union, is warning that people should exercise extreme caution when using WiFi hotspots when out and about. Citing an increase in the number of "man-in-the-middle" attacks on such connections, the head of Europol's cybercrime division, Troels Oerting, said that public WiFi connections are being used to "steal information, identity or passwords and money from the users who use [them]". The advice is to not necessarily stop using public networks, but to avoid using them for anything that involves transmitting personal data.
Singled out for particular attention is online banking, which Oerting suggests people should do "from home where they know actually the wi-fi and its security" rather than in a coffee shop. Europol is currently working with several member states of the European Union following in an increase in the number of WiFi network attacks.
It is a relatively simple task to intercept data that is being transmitted over an open network such as those found in public places like libraries and hotels, meaning it is easy for personal information to fall into the wrong hands. Usernames and passwords can be gathered in addition to other data that could be exploited by a criminal, and very little equipment is needed.
