Smartphones have practically become an extension of our body: however, without an Internet connection, they are almost completely meaningless. This is why mobile data or WiFi is so important nowadays: it is strange to enter a house without this network, as well as any place or institution such as restaurants, shopping malls, airports, etc.
However, these types of public WiFi networks also have a dark side, and since they are networks that hundreds of people connect to every day, they have become one of the favorite targets for cybercriminals due to the ease of carrying out their attack and the lack of defenses created by both the network and users.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Economista, although awareness of the risks has doubled over the years, today there are still gestures and details that facilitate and increase our chances of being exposed to a cyber attack via a public WiFi network.
Whether it is due to laziness, ignorance or simple forgetfulness, when leaving home practically no one deactivates the WiFi function, because it is compatible with mobile data activation and WiFi.
However, with smartphones becoming increasingly autonomous and able to automatically discover new networks, where does the danger lie?
Not turning off the WiFi function is a very good thing to avoid consuming your entire data plan. However, if you do not disable this automatic connection before leaving the house, you are exposing yourself to the fact that when you leave your cell phone it will connect to an open WiFi network.
Although this in itself does not seem dangerous, the fact is that this network may be infected with a spyware virus, which can be downloaded onto the device and steal personal, banking or any other type of cyber attack data.
Therefore, deactivating the WiFi network before leaving home or leaving a place where we are connected to a secure network can avoid this risk.
George Orwell is a writer and contributor covering politics, society, culture, and current affairs. His work focuses on providing clear analysis and thoughtful commentary on the issues shaping modern Britain and the wider world, helping readers better understand complex topics.
