Is Communal Free Wi-Fi Secure?

RealGem

Hi, I have moved to a block of flats for over 55s with communal lounge. Virgin Media have delayed my new broadband installation at a crucial time. I have been without broadband for 3 weeks already and they did agree to put me on a 3 week holiday. But now they have delayed it for another 2 weeks til Sept 1st. 

So I now need to sort out my money, benefits, bills, change of address etc without broadband. But we have free wifi in the communal lounge. To connect using this, you don't have to input a password. You just choose the right name, and it connects automatically.

I have always steered clear of free wifi in public places, as I believed they were not secure. 

But when I asked one of the other residents if the wifi was secure, he said "it's fine. Free wifi means you don't have to put in a password!"

Am I being dense? Or is he?!

I want to log in to my bank, Universal Credit, and all manner of personal and sensitive accounts. So is it secure for me to do so using this free shared wifi?

Thank you

MattMattMattUK

It is not a secure connection, but whilst there are theoretical risks, they are very low, so long as you are not transmitting bank details in plain text, which accessing a bank account online does not do. Just to note that free public WiFi, whether you need a password or not to access it is all less secure. So there are risks, but they are negligible. 

Alternatively you could tether using your mobile phone, which is what I would do in that situation.

DullGreyGuy

You dont own the router so have no idea what software its running or other devices are connected to it. Without a password the communication between the router and your device is unlikely to be encrypted and so you aren't only worrying about what's been done to the router but what other devices are listening to comms. 

The real risk ultimately is low, contrary to much of the press millions of people use terrible low/no security and nothing bad happens to them (in fact the tin foil hat brigade seem disproportionally impacted despite the extra steps they take). 

It's not hard however to make your connection much more secure by using a VPN application which will introduce encryption as soon as the connection is made (and can have other advantages. People like Express VPN offer a 30 day free trial so could cover you cost free until the home connection arrives; just make sure you remember to cancel in time unless you want to use it to watch US Netflix or HBO Max etc (or watching iPlayer on holiday etc)

Newcad

It will be fine.

The security risk with free wifi in public spaces is that you never know just who might be connected to the same wifi.
It's a miniscule risk though that some random hacker may be connected to the same wifi, why would they bother to try and intercept random passing strangers when there are bigger static targets out there to try and hack?
A slightly bigger risk is that the 'unknown to you' public router may have malware installed, but again it's a tiny risk.

However in this case it's not really public wifi, it's comunal wifi for neighbours (and possibly their visitors).
Unless you think that one of your over 55s neighbours is a hacker harvesting stuff from his/her neighbours, then I wouldn't be over concerned about using it, even to log into my UC journal or bank accounts. (Those usually send a one-time code to your phone for security anyway, or use your fingerprint or other biometrics).

PS. Any router can easily be set up not to need a password for the wifi, it saves people having to ask all the time.
(I have to laugh when I see pubs, cafes, etc. with their wifi name and password posted on the wall for customers to use, security wise they might as well just change the wifi name to the same as the pub/cafe and set it not to need a password, easier for the customers too).

km1500

"Without a password the communication between the router and your device is unlikely to be encrypted"

 it will be if you visit websites with https which many if not most are  nowadays (banks etc certainly are)

RealGem

Thanks a lot everyone.

I am using my mobile phone as a hotspot for now, but will use the communal wifi later. 

I might get the VPN free trial too, thanks for that @DullGreyGuy

GDB2222

km1500 said:

"Without a password the communication between the router and your device is unlikely to be encrypted"

 it will be if you visit websites with https which many if not most are  nowadays (banks etc certainly are)

I agree https is the key here. This provides end-to-end encryption, from your browser to the website. So even if someone has hijacked the router, they will need serious (CIA-level) computer power to crack the encryption. 

Even these forums use https! Check the address bar of your browser, and you'll see a padlock. 

km1500

as I have mentioned on these forms before when it comes to using public Wi-Fi like for example at Starbucks the risk is not whether you need to enter a password or not as most websites use https and everything is encrypted anyway

the risk is that you look at the Wi-Fi networks available and connect to 'Starbucks Free Wi-Fi' not knowing that that is not the real Starbucks wi-fi but some guy in the corner with a PC and a hot spot pretending to be Starbucks and you are connecting to him not Starbucks. If that's happens all bets are off

RealGem

km1500 said:

as I have mentioned on these forms before when it comes to using public Wi-Fi like for example at Starbucks the risk is not whether you need to enter a password or not as most websites use https and everything is encrypted anyway

the risk is that you look at the Wi-Fi networks available and connect to 'Starbucks Free Wi-Fi' not knowing that that is not the real Starbucks wi-fi but some guy in the corner with a PC and a hot spot pretending to be Starbucks and you are connecting to him not Starbucks. If that's happens all bets are off

Thank you.

Would a VPN help in this case, or not?

There are a few similarly named connections for this property, and the one I am connected to has the word Free on the end...

So now I am wary!

Thanks

alanclarke

For web browsing use Opera - https://www.opera.com/ it has a built-in VPN. By default it is turned off, go into settings to "Enable VPN" and turn on "Connect to VPN when starting browser".

RealGem

Thanks I already bought NordVPN as it was cheaper than ExpressVPN in case I were to continue it after a month. But will a VPN still protect me from a copycat hacker who names a connection similar to the one others locally are using?

Thanks