Using public W-Fi has left 96% of Indians vulnerable: Symantec

As many as 96 per cent of Indians have potentially put their personal information at risk while using public Wi-Fi for checking bank accounts, sharing personal photos and videos, or other reasons, according to a report by internet security firm Symantec.

According to the 'Norton Wi-Fi Risk Report 2017' by Symantec released on Tuesday, consumers are unable to resist a strong, free Wi-Fi network and their online behaviour may be placing their personal information at risk.

The Norton survey found 51 per cent of Indian respondents saying they can't wait more than a few minutes before logging onto a Wi-Fi network, and a majority said that access to a strong Wi-Fi network is an imperative factor in choosing a hotel, or a transport hub, which airline to fly and places to eat.

Moreover, the attraction of pornography is strong in a country with repressive sexual attitudes. The survey found 31 per cent Indians admitted watching nude, explicit or suggestive content on public Wi-Fi, out of which almost half of them admitted to doing so at work, in a hotel, hostel or Airbnb. Such sites are among the most malicious in nature.

Yet, despite the strong urge to remain connected when outdoors (for free, of course), Indians have little to no clue , about how to stay protected. The survey found 54 per cent of Indians don't use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure their Wi-Fi connections, even though it is considered one of the best ways of protecting personal information. An alarming eight per cent are unaware of the term VPN.

"There is a deep divide between what people think is safe when it comes to using public Wi-Fi versus the reality," said Ritesh Chopra, country manager, consumer business unit, Symantec, in a statement.

"What someone thinks are private on their personal device can easily be accessed by cyber criminals through unsecure Wi-Fi Networks or even apps with privacy vulnerabilities."

Norton surveyed 15,000 respondents across 15 countries, including over 1,000 from India.

To keep users protected over public Wi-Fi, Norton has outlined three simple steps:

• Using security software: Norton suggests using a VPN whenever connected to a public Wi-Fi network. VPNs provide a "secure tunnel" that encrypts data being sent and received between your device and the internet.
• Look out for HTTPS. HTTPS signifies the website you are accessing is secured to provide online security. You can tell if a website is secure if it has "https" in its URL and has a small lock symbol next to it. However, even though the website itself might be safe, your personal information could be vulnerable if your network connection isn't secure.
• You ought to think twice before entering any type of personal information - from passwords to financial details and photos - over public Wi-Fi networks. Even if you're not actively sharing the information, your device may be doing so for you. Many devices are programmed to automatically seek connections to other devices on the same network, which could cause your files to be vulnerable. Be sure to disable sharing on your devices to ensure what's yours stays yours.