Heading to Rio? Beware Wi-Fi

Dubai - Wi-Fi networks tested close to the Olympic venues in Rio were found to be insecure

Around 18 per cent of Wi-Fi networks tested close to the Olympic venues in Rio were found to be open networks - which means that the data sent and received through them is not encryption protected, and can therefore be compromised.
In the lead-up to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Kaspersky Lab analysts and researchers mapped and assessed the security of the Wi-Fi networks visitors will encounter. The analysts conducted research around popular areas, specifically the Brazilian Olympic Committee, the Olympic Park and the Maracana, Maracanãzinho and Engenhão stadiums and mapped the available Wi-Fi networks that visitors will encounter.
Running fast reconnaissance over a period of two days, researcherds discovered more than 4,500 single unique access points were discovered in areas near Olympic Games venues. Most of these use the modern 802.11n-hardware that is ideal for working with multimedia since it offers speeds of up to 600Mbps. Additionally, it was discovered that seven per cent of them use WPA-Personal, an algorithm currently considered obsolete which can easily be compromised.
In total, 25 per cent of all Wi-Fi networks in areas where Olympic competitions are set to take place in Rio de Janeiro were found to be unsafe or configured with weak encryption protocols that may be easily compromised and manipulated by cybercriminals to steal users' personal and financial information.
"This is especially concerning as users who connect to these networks may believe their information is protected, when in reality, these networks can be compromised allowing criminals to carry out different types of attacks to manipulate the traffic and user data being exchanged through them," said Dmitry Bestuzhev, head of research and analysis for Kaspersky Lab Latin America.
"It is possible to use open Wi-Fi networks and still navigate the Web safely. However, the use of a Virtual Private Network is necessary. We recommend using this technology regardless of the Internet connection you use while traveling as the info going to/from your device will be encrypted," noted Bestuzhev.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com