- NEW DELHI — The government has issued a strong warning to citizens, advising
them to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks for financial transactions and other
sensitive activities.
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- Free Wi-Fi at places like airports, coffee shops, and public
spaces may seem convenient, but it can be very risky for your private and
financial information.
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- Many of these public Wi-Fi networks are not properly
secured, making them easy targets for hackers and scammers.
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- To strengthen digital safety awareness, the Indian Computer
Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a fresh reminder under its
‘Jaagrookta Diwas’ initiative.
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- The advisory warns citizens against performing sensitive
activities, like banking or online shopping, over public Wi-Fi networks.
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- CERT-In explained that cybercriminals can easily intercept
unprotected connections on public Wi-Fi, putting users at risk of data theft,
financial loss, and even identity fraud.
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- The government has urged people to avoid making transactions
or entering personal information when connected to such networks.
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- As part of its awareness drive, CERT-In has also shared a
few important safety practices. Citizens are advised not to click on links or
attachments from unknown sources, use long and strong passwords for all online
accounts, and regularly back up important files to external drives.
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- These habits can help build strong protection around
personal information. The advisory further stressed that even simple activities
like checking emails or logging into social media accounts on public Wi-Fi can
be risky if proper precautions are not taken.
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- Using a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) and avoiding
the use of autofill options on web browsers are also recommended for extra
safety.
