Your banking details are at risk: where you shouldn't use Wi-Fi

Cyber ​​experts urge Ukrainians to abandon the use of public Wi-Fi networks for financial transactions due to the high risk of theft of confidential data.

Open networks in public places are particularly dangerous, where fraudsters can easily intercept users' bank details and passwords.

The most vulnerable are networks in cafes, hotels, airports, shopping malls and libraries. Cybersecurity experts emphasize that attackers, being on the same network with other users, are able to track all information traffic and steal personal data for further cyberattacks and account hacking.

To protect your information, experts strongly recommend using mobile Internet from communication operators instead of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. In cases where the use of a public network is inevitable, it is necessary to use reliable VPN services that provide data encryption and protection against traffic interception.

When choosing a VPN service, it is important to pay attention to the absence of activity logs, the use of modern encryption methods and reliable security protocols, such as OpenVPN, L2TP, IKEv2, WireGuard and Proton. The service must also have protection against leaks through the Internet address distribution system and adhere to a privacy policy.

Special attention is paid by experts to the security of home Wi-Fi networks. For proper protection, it is necessary to use modern security protocols WPA3 or WPA2, since earlier versions no longer provide a sufficient level of protection. It is important to set strong passwords for accessing the network and the router control panel, replacing the manufacturer's default settings.

Additional security measures can include setting up a separate network for guests, hiding the network name from the list of available ones, and regularly updating the router's software. Experts also advise against using outdated router models that no longer support modern security standards.