THE LATEST SCAM

Q I’ve been travelling in Europe recently and with roaming costs kicking in, I was relying on public Wi-fi networks while out and about. It struck me that some networks were maybe not secure, will I have put myself at risk?

JAMES SAYS

A Public Wi-fi networks are naturally less secure than personal ones because you don’t know who set it up or who else is using it. A hacker can sit beside you and create a random Wi-fi network that appears genuine – or indeed slightly misspell the name of a legitimate one – leading unsuspecting users to connect. Once the hacker has created the fake network, and you have connected, they will have access to all your data. You often don’t even realise until it’s too late. Tools such as two-factor authentication or a reliable VPN (virtual private network) can stop a hacker in their tracks. Just to be on the safe side, you should regularly check which companies have your data and instruct them to delete it if required.