Hyderabad Cybercrime police warn against using public Wi-Fi for banking

Cybercrime police have cautioned citizens against using public Wi-Fi for banking and sensitive activities. Officials warned that both secured and unsecured networks pose risks, advising users to disable automatic connectivity and Bluetooth to prevent data theft and online fraud.

Hyderabad: Free Wi-Fi, these days, is made available almost everywhere around us, from small coffee shops to hotels, buses, bus stations, railway stations and tourist spots. While on one hand, Wi-Fi has made our lives a little easier, on the other, it also poses security risks to the personal information available on our laptops and smartphones.

Usually, when a mobile phone user gets connected to free Wi-Fi in public places or elsewhere, there are high chances that cyber fraudsters can access their details. Sometimes, they also hack servers and procure data.

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According to police authorities, while an unsecured network can be connected to within range and without any security feature like a password or login, a secured network requires a user to agree to legal terms, register an account or type in a password before connecting to the network.

Cybercrime police officials have warned that regardless of the connection type, one should always use public Wi-Fi with caution. They have urged citizens not to use Wi-Fi in public places for banking purposes.

“Never access your personal bank accounts or sensitive personal data on unsecured public networks. Even secured networks can be risky. Be very cautious if you need to access these accounts on public Wi-Fi,” a Hyderabad Cybercrime Police official said.

In emergencies, when one is unable to connect to a secured network, using an unsecured network would be safer if the connection requires some form of login or registration, they advised.

Meanwhile, cyber security experts said leaving a laptop or smartphone unattended for a long time in a public place can be dangerous, as someone could steal your data. Officials said online shopping using public Wi-Fi requires personal information, which could include bank account and retailer login credentials. It is risky.

Turn off automatic connectivity on your gadgets while travelling. These settings allow devices to connect from one hotspot to the next. Keep them turned off, especially when travelling to unfamiliar places.

Monitoring Bluetooth connectivity in public places can pose a serious risk to cyber security. Hackers can look for open Bluetooth signals to gain access to devices. Keeping this function turned off is very important.

Cybercrime police urged citizens to stay alert and, in case money is fraudulently withdrawn from bank accounts, to approach the police.