FBI warns that users don’t connect to the public Wifi network

When the Christmas holiday arrived, the FBI also posted on its official website that users should not connect to public WiFi when they go out. The suggestion not to connect to public WiFi is not the first proposed by the FBI, but it is still valid today and everyone should heed it. The FBI states that when you go out, do not let your computer, phone, tablet or another device automatically connect to those free public WiFi wireless networks. This could pose a potential security risk to you, as hackers can sniff connected devices and intercept all kinds of traffic through these public WiFis.

“Bloomington FBI”by Amy Guth is licensed under CC BY 2.0

When users connect to free public WiFi, hackers can also connect. When they are in the same local area network, hackers can take the opportunity to launch attacks. The FBI says hackers can send malware to user devices over the local area network, can steal user account passwords, and even turn on cameras and microphones remotely. Of course, for professionals, this statement of the FBI may be a bit alarmist, but it must be mentioned that there are indeed hackers who have methods to achieve this attack. In fact, this type of attack mainly relies on the hijacking of LAN middlemen and the exploitation of potential vulnerabilities in the device. No one can guarantee that their device is completely free of vulnerabilities.

The FBI’s recommendation is not to connect any public WiFi, including public places such as shopping malls or even hotel wireless networks, and use cellular network traffic instead. Although this is a very sound suggestion from a security perspective, it is possible that the vast majority of users will not be able to do this for a long time by using cellular traffic to go online. Especially in the hotel, if you want to see streaming video or live broadcast or turn on the computer to handle office affairs, it is estimated that it will be pressure to surf the Internet by traffic alone.