A lot of people think free Wi-Fi can lead to identity theft
October 18, 2012 by Network Security
Filed under News
A new study by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) and PRIVATE WiFi, exposed that 79% of answerers think that using a free public Wi-Fi connection can result in identity theft.
45% of answerers agreed they were worried about their security when connecting to a public hotspot and 15% showed that they were “very concerned.” 44% of answerers did not know there is a way to protect their confident information while using a public hotspot.
On top of that, almost 70% of the answerers told that they knew a password used to access Internet access in a public hotspot did not offer them enough security for their data. 24% stated that they made online purchases in a public hotspot, and 57% admitted to accessing confidential work-related information while using a public hotspot.
“Our study revealed that only 27% of respondents use a VPN to protect themselves. While there are various ways to secure your data and identity in a public Wi-Fi hotspot, the most reliable solution that we at the ITRC recommend is a personal VPN,” said Rex Davis, director of operations at the ITRC. “There is no doubt that Wi-Fi hotspots are vulnerable, and VPN technology offers the greatest level of protection.”
