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Around 22 million adults in the U.S. are reportedly working from home. As working in cafes and other public workspaces becomes more common, the question arises as to how managers can ensure their employees are working safely while connected to public Wi-Fi.

Cloud-based application security company, Indusface has told Digital Journal about the worst places to connect to public Wi-Fi, with a detailed description of the cybersecurity risks and warning signs to look out for.

The worst places to connect to public Wi-Fi:

Restaurants/Cafes

Large restaurants or cafes are visited by numerous customers every day, all of whom have access to the public Wi-Fi that the establishment offers. This open access can make users vulnerable to hackers who can exploit the lack of security of the Wi-Fi network and thus access user data, also known as a MITM (Man in the Middle) attack.

This allows hackers to access information such as the websites users visit, browsing activity, and more personal information such as passwords and financial transactions. This allows user logins and other private employee data to be stolen by hackers.

Hotels

Hotel Wi-Fi can be useful for employees, whether they’re traveling for business or looking to catch up on work they haven’t yet completed. However, access to hotel Wi-Fi is often public, meaning anyone can access and monitor it.

Router hacking is just one of the ways hackers can exploit hotel Wi-Fi. It involves hackers or cybercriminals gaining control of a router to exploit its vulnerabilities and gaining access to personal and confidential information.

This can pose a risk to anyone using the hotel’s Wi-Fi, as it could allow hackers to access their personal information.

Public transportation

Although many employees work remotely or in a hybrid capacity, some roles still require travel to and from work meetings from time to time. Wi-Fi on public transport such as trains can be useful if you need to get work done before you arrive. However, due to open access, the security of the Wi-Fi can easily be compromised by hackers, making it a common target.

For example, if many employees use Wi-Fi on trains to work on the go, they are vulnerable to hackers who could gain access to important business data, financial data, or even private and personal information such as login credentials.

One way hackers can exploit data over Wi-Fi transport is through malware attacks, where cybercriminals compromise a device to gain access to its information. This is common on insecure networks, as hackers can easily access devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network as their victims.

Airports

Thousands of people can use airport Wi-Fi at any time to access everything they need, from flight information to completing tasks before a business trip. Airports are therefore hotspots for cybercriminals who are after personal information such as passwords or even financial data such as credit/debit card details.

Employees on business trips should be wary of the Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack, where hackers attempt to access email accounts to commit fraud, such as sending money.

Another method cybercriminals can use is identity theft or compromising your account. Hackers can intercept data you send over an unsecure network, so any information you enter – such as passwords – could be used to break into your online accounts or even steal your identity via compromised passport information.

Other measures companies and employees can take to protect themselves from cyberattacks

It is important not only for employees, but also for companies to ensure that they are adequately protected when using public Wi-Fi. There are numerous methods available to you to do this.

The most important advice is this:

• Disable the automatic Wi-Fi connection setting, as this can automatically connect you to nearby freely accessible public networks that may not be secure, leaving you vulnerable to attacks.
• Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) as this can help keep your data invisible to hackers as it passes through the network you are on. If it becomes visible, hackers can breach your digital privacy and gain access to your private corporate or personal data.
• Make sure you have antivirus software installed on your device. This can protect you when using public Wi-Fi as it can detect malware that might enter your system when using the public network. The software will alert you if there are viruses on your device or if there is any suspicious activity or attack taking place.
• Run gray-box DAST scans on all your web and mobile applications so you know the exact risk if the administrator or user credentials are compromised. Once you understand the risks, mitigate them in code.
• Implement a Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solution so that if your employee’s endpoint is compromised, attacks originating from that compromised endpoint are blocked at the WAAP.

Additional data was based on advice from reputable websites such as www.rd.com and www.moneytalksnews.com.