Public Wi-Fi hotspots have been considered dangerous and may pose security threats in China.

China state broadcaster CCTV reported that private information can be stolen from users who use public Wi-Fi in places including train stations and restaurants. China holds the largest number of internet users because of its large population size.

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Security software company Kingsoft engineer Zhao Yu said that even Wi-Fi connection at home is not safe to use. Hackers still have the ability to crack passwords and take personal information.

Another Kingsoft engineer, Li Tiejun, said that most internet users do not change their passwords. This makes it easier for hackers to crack codes and take over the devices. After hackers implanted a backdoor program to wireless routers, they will be able to gain access to all personal information stored in private internet accounts.

Kingsoft and CCTV recently conducted a study in which they secretly set up two free Wi-Fi connections in crowded places. People can easily connect to free Wi-Fi, but the study used it as “baits.” 

Many people in the area immediately accessed the free Wi-Fi connection and used their smartphones, laptops and tablets. Little did they know that  their account information in services like Taobao, Weibo and WeChat were being hacked.

The engineers at Kingsoft suggested that users who frequently avail of free Wi-Fi connection in public places should be extra careful. They also suggested that online shopping should be avoided. Bank account logins should not be done using public Wi-Fi hotspots, the engineers said.

Wi-Fi settings should also be switched off to prevent automatic connections to public hotspots. The engineers also suggested that passwords should be difficult to guess. Furthermore, they said that all computers and smartphones should be installed with security features.

Recently, media outlets reported that a woman was swindled with US$320 after using a public Wi-Fi connection.

TagsCCTV, Kingsoft, public Wi-Fi