Paris: The City of Love... and Poor Public Wi-Fi Security
Paris, the City of Love, Lights, and… Poor Public Wi-Fi Security!
That’s according to antivirus company Kaspersky, who analysed a massive 25,000 free Wi-Fi spots around the city and found almost 25% of them were unsafe.
This comes ahead of the city hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which has had cybersecurity experts sounding the alarm over various potential digital threats.
With DDoS, phishing, and AI-augmented attacks having been discussed as a way of attackers deliberately targeting spectators and the sports hosts themselves, one overlooked element may be the auxiliary internet infrastructure that is in place around the city.
Public Wi-Fi problems
Public Wi-Fi, usually hosted by localities or tourism boards, are there to make the city more accessible to people wishing to find their way around.
Therefore, the researchers analysed 47,891 signal records across popular locations: Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Louvre Museum; Eiffel Tower, Notre dame Cathedral, Seine river, Trocadéro, and Stade de France - an arena for the Olympics.
Kaspersky’s study, however, highlighted that these networks lacked basic security features, such as weak or nonexistent encryption.
This means that anyone using the Wi-Fi to send or receive data can have their information intercepted. Once it is intercepted, hackers can then deploy decryption or cracking attacks that can potential reveal vital information like bank details.
“Open and misconfigured Wi-Fi networks are particularly attractive to criminals, as they enable the theft of passwords, credit card details, and other sensitive user data,” Amin Hasbini, Head of META research unit at Kaspersky’s GReAT (Global Research and Analysis Team) says of the findings.
Moreover, only 6% of the networks employ the latest WPA3 security protocol and almost one-in-five (20%) were configured with WPS, an outdated and easily compromised algorithm, rendering them highly susceptible to WPS attacks that could result in data loss.
These, sometimes basic issues, are what often catches up organisations big and small when it comes to network security.
Cloud storage giant Snowflake had a data theft from their systems for such a reason; users of its system didn’t take the basic cyber hygiene precautions to keep the system safe.
Public Wi-Fi procedure
Should you want to visit the City of Love, knowing there are some issues surrounding the public Wi-Fi should prompt you to take action.
Whether for a leisure holiday or business trip, Kaspersky advocate a VPN. Using a VPN provides an extra layer of security for those accessing open Wi-Fi networks.
It encrypts the internet connection, creating a secure tunnel between the device and the internet and prevents cybercriminals from intercepting data, even on unsecured networks.
Others is taking the initiative to practise good cyber hygiene in absence of any on the network.
- Enable a firewall to make sure your device’s firewall is active to block unauthorised access - especially important if using a business device connected to a company cloud
- Disable file sharing so someone can’t AirDrop any malware on to your device
- Verify the network, or avoid doing sensitive tasks on it if you can’t
As tourists prepare to flood the streets of Paris for the Olympics and beyond, the allure of free Wi-Fi may at times prove irresistible. However, this convenience comes with hidden risks, and therefore, until its improved, your next visit to Paris may see you indulge in the wine, but not the Wi-Fi.
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