Wi-Fi has been accessible to the public for nearly two decades, yet people are still unaware of the risks associated with it. Wi-Fi is a ubiquitous technology that allows people to connect their devices to the internet in order to perform. The research question I chose was regarding the risks of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks because of how uninformative many people are about the dangers of connecting to vulnerable wireless networks. People blindly connect their devices that obtain vulnerable personal information to random public networks without considering the risks involved. While obtaining public Wi-Fi is quite easy for the public to access, many people are oblivious to the threat landscape that exists on the internet. Since people are so naïve, hackers can lure them into connecting to evil twin networks and steal their information (Farhoud, 2016). In addition, hackers use a number of tactics to invade a public Wi-Fi network such as man-in-the-middle-attacks, rogue hotspots, session hijacking and packet sniffing. With the growth of technological devices, people must educate themselves on best practices in joining a public network.
Public Wi-Fi is used to connect various types of devices to the internet. Some examples of those are laptops, iPads, and cellphones. It is useful particularly for people who want to access various sites and applications while in transit. Many people have various amounts of personal information that they store on their devices such as credit card information, passwords, pictures, account numbers and emails. Public Wi-Fi enables people to use the internet for personal or business use. The most secure and best option is for people to connect to a private Wi-Fi network. However, for many people, such as students, who frequent public libraries, coffee shops and restaurants, join public Wi-Fi network due to accessibility which leaves them susceptible to attacks. Public Wi-Fi can also be accessed almost anywhere in the world and the threats are a global issue that every country faces. As Hern (2017) states, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre has put out a statement that goes into detail about the negative risks that come with accessing public Wi-Fi Networks. The Centre has conducted thorough research about the dangers of Wi-Fi globally as it affects the world’s population. Also, almost every public place in the United States provides public WIFI networks for people to connect their devices to.