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As a result of this , working from coffee shops , public workspaces or whilst commuting is becoming increasingly common – but how can you ensure your employees are working securely whilst connected to public Wi-Fi ?

Here are the worst places businesses can connect to public Wi-Fi – with the risks and red flags to look out for .

The worst places to connect to public Wi-Fi

1 . Restaurants / Coffee shops

Large restaurants and coffee shops see numerous customers pass through their doors daily , all of whom have access to the public Wi-Fi that the venue offers . This open access can leave users vulnerable to hackers who are able to exploit the lack of security in the Wi-Fi network and utilise this to access user data , otherwise known as a MITM ( Man in the Middle ) attack .

From this , hackers can access information on websites that users visit , browsing activity , and more personal information such as passwords and financial transactions . This can leave user logins and other personal data vulnerable to being stolen by a hacker .

2 . Hotels

3 . Public Transport

Despite many employees working in a remote or hybrid capacity , certain roles will still require travel to and from work meetings from time to time , and Wi-Fi on public transport such as trains can be useful if employees have work to complete before getting to their destination . Nevertheless , its safety and security can be easily compromised by hackers due to its open access , making it a frequent target for attack .

As such , utilising Wi-Fi on trains for completing work whilst commuting can leave many employees susceptible to hackers who could gain access to important business data , financial data , or even private and personal information such as logins .

One way hackers may exploit data via transport Wi-Fi is through Malware attacks . This entails cybercriminals interfering with a device in order to gain access to its information . This is common on unsecure networks as hackers can easily access devices when connected to the same Wi-Fi as their victims .

4 . Airports

If on a business trip , you should make your employees aware that they should be vigilant when using airport Wi-Fi , as airports are hotspots for cybercriminals looking to target personal information such as passwords , financial data or business data .

If travelling for business , you should be particularly cautious of business email compromise ( BEC ). This involves hackers attempting to access email accounts to carry out fraud , such as transferring funds .

Hotel Wi-Fi can prove useful to your employees whether they are on a business trip or catching up on uncompleted work , however , hotel Wi-Fi often provides full public access , meaning anyone can access and monitor it .

Router hacking is just one of the ways hackers can take advantage of open access hotel Wi-Fi . This involves hackers or cybercriminals gaining control of a router in order to take advantage of its vulnerabilities , resulting in access to personal and sensitive information .

This can be a threat to anyone who is on the hotel ’ s Wi-Fi as their personal cyber information can become available to hackers using this method .

Another method cybercriminals may try is identity theft or compromising accounts . Hackers can intercept data sent over an unsecure network , therefore , any information that you input – such as passwords , could be used to break into your online accounts such as business accounts or even steal your identity via compromised passport information .

“ If your employees use public Wi-Fi networks , the chances of getting a malware infection is high . While the best protection is to not use these Wi-Fi networks at all , you can never be sure about how your remote employees will comply with these guidelines .

“ To minimize damage , I see two angles , endpoint security and application security .

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