IPHONE and Android owners have been warned about a vicious Wi-Fi attack that allows hackers to break into their social media accounts.
The sinister scheme can surprise anyone when they try to connect to free Wi-Fi networks, apparently from restaurants, coffee shops and even from an airplane when traveling via Wi-Fi.
Hackers set up a fake Wi-Fi network using brand names near legitimate businesses offering Wi-Fi in an attempt to trick them into connecting to it.
Once connected, all of the victim’s data that they share with the network passes through a server controlled by the attacker.
And in some cases, they may ask you to log in using your social media account or Gmail – but this only reveals your precious password.
Experts dubbed the attack the “evil twin”.
“Unfortunately, evil twin Wi-Fi hotspots are difficult to detect without specialized detection tools,” says NordVPN.
“However, some signs can reveal an evil twin attack and help you avoid dubious connections.”
1. Check the network name
Make sure the name of the network you are trying to connect to matches the one named by the location host.
If you see duplicates, this could be a sign that someone has set up a spoof.
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If you’re not sure, ask the team to check the Wi-Fi network name.
2. Beware of login screens
Some Wi-Fi networks require you to sign up or register.
But they shouldn’t ask for too many personal details – and certainly not financial details.
You also shouldn’t need to provide a username and password for your social media accounts to gain access.
“Legitimate networks generally don’t ask for login credentials unless it’s a captive portal, for example in a hotel or airport,” says NordVPN.
3. Keep an eye on the connection
If you are receiving error messages while connected to a public network or it disconnects frequently, it could be due to an evil twin.
“These issues could be caused by an attacker trying to intercept or redirect your traffic,” explains NordVPN.
How to identify a dubious app
Detecting a malicious app before clicking the ‘Download’ button is easy when you know the signs.
Follow this eight-point checklist when downloading an app you’re unsure about:
- Check the comments – be careful with complaints and uniformly positive reviews from fake accounts.
- Beware of grammatical errors – Legitimate app developers will not have typos or errors in their app descriptions.
- Check the number of downloads – avoid apps with only thousands of downloads as they may be fake.
- Search the developer – do they have a good reputation? Or are they completely false?
- Check the release date – a recent release date combined with a large number of downloads is generally bad news.
- Review the permission agreement – this agreement gives permission for the app to take pieces of your data, and fake apps often request additional data that is not necessary.
- Check update frequency – an application updated too frequently often indicates security vulnerabilities.
- Check the icon – watch carefully and don’t be fooled by distorted and lower quality versions of legitimate app icons.
All this information will be available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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