Tips: Best Practices For Using Public Wi-Fi

  • Nov 16, 2007

AirDefense recently unveiled a list of ‘best practices’ for consumers to use to protect their identity, credit card numbers and other personal information while using wireless devices at locations offering Wi-Fi this holiday season. These spots include: airports, bookstores, coffee shops, convention centers, hotels, libraries and train stations. According to the Electronic Retail Association (ERA), consumers are expected to spend nearly $25 billion online at their favorite retailer during the holiday shopping season. Often times, consumers become unsuspecting victims of consumer identity theft and fraud as they let their guard down.

“Today, more and more consumers provide hackers with personal information through free, unsecured and pervasive WIFI offered by a growing number of venues and cities across the country,” said Dr. Amit Sinha, chief technology officer, AirDefense. “Though wireless hotspots are convenient and often times free or accessible by paying a nominal fee, consumers should guard their identity, credit card numbers and social security numbers as closely as they would their wallet or car keys.”

Consumers should follow this ‘best practices’ list to minimize risk during the online holiday shopping season:

Turn off the wireless card when not in use.

If shopping online, ensure that all wireless devices have their internal firewall and antivirus/malware turned on.

If forced to shop at a public hotspot, consumers should use online providers where they have existing accounts. This might prevent an attacker from getting all of a consumer’s personal information, such as billing address, name or credit card numbers.

Only log onto known wireless access points and do not bank or shop online with any frequency from a hot spot such as an airport lounge, coffee shop or library.

Beware of slow networks, browser error and/or transactions not working because many of these could show signs that someone is trying to take over the hotspot.

Use your corporate VPN to setup a secure tunnel when connecting at risky and open wireless networks before going on the Internet.

Enable phishing filters on your browser. Make sure you use the latest and patched version of Internet browsers.

Use prepaid wireless cards or accounts and register before you use the hotspot.

Avoid busy hotspots, as these are locations most desirable to setup attacks.

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