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Wi -Fi in Greece really safe?

I just read this info below about using Public Wi Fi in a well known travel mag, I want to be able to pull up travel info while I'm traveling, will my phone be at risk?

"Public Wi-Fi networks are basically "Steal my stuff" invitations"

It can be hard to resist: You've been living in airplane mode for the past three days, terrified of roaming charges, and then you see an open Wi-Fi network pop-up. What you might not realize is that public Wi-Fi networks—the ones you can connect to instantaneously in libraries, hotels, airports, or even some city centers—are unencrypted, which means with even the slightest grasp on hacking, anyone can see what websites you're looking at, what you're typing into web fields, and any other data you are transmitting over the connection. (Yes, even your banking information.) Symantec, the company that makes the Norton Security suite of antivirus products, released a report in 2017 that showed that 87 percent of respondents had at some point potentially put information at risk while using public Wi-Fi.
What to do about it:

Avoid public Wi-Fi networks when you can. Even if you think you're somewhere safe, like your hotel lobby, it's not worth the risk. You don't know who else is in that lobby, and you don't even know whether the network you're connecting to is legit—after all, it's not hard for a hacker to create a hotspot with the name "Hotel Free Wi-Fi."

Posted by
11027 posts

Wi -Fi in Greece really safe?

Should not the question be " Wi-Fi in ______ really safe?"

Posted by
3655 posts

Public wi-fi networks are not safe anywhere. If the network requires no password/authentication, then it is attractive to hackers. Why pick on the Greeks?

Posted by
3514 posts

Way over blown.

Back when the Internet was new, most web sites were unencrypted. Even the login screen for your bank probably wasn't encrypted until after you entered your info.

All that has changed.

Everything is encrypted. Even those cute cat videos on You Tube are sent over an encrypted connection. This means that, OK someone knows what web page you typed in to get there, but they know nothing else.

Use the WiFi at your hotel. I have for over 15 years and never had any issues. Could something happen? Of course. But there is a bigger chance of someone stealing your computing device and getting into your private stuff because you have had your passwords memorized by the computer because they were all too difficult to remember.

Posted by
5687 posts

Mark is right. Most websites now use SSL (https) to encrypt everything between your device and the web site. Hackers may be able to see your traffic, but the encrypted packets will be gibberish to them.

Sure, SSL could theoretically be hacked. It could be hacked while you use your supposedly secure WiFi (or even wired internet) at home, too.

I have a VPN at home, but I rarely use it anymore for security. Almost everything I do online is encrypted now.

Posted by
6732 posts

Nothing is safe. Everything gets hacked eventually.

Embrace it. Everything becomes more simple and you will feel much better.

Posted by
23177 posts

I am in Mark's camp. Much of this is over blown hype. However, I don't worry it since I am only access general travel info or email. We used double id for logging on to email so even if the original log-in passport was hacked, it would not do them any good. And I would not go any financial transactions on a public wifi net work anyway.

Posted by
123 posts

thanks for the info. I was not " Picking on Greece" it just happen's to be where we are going...great to hear not a bad as suggested...

Posted by
419 posts

My credit cards have been compromised way too many times. And in every case it’s been at a big box or national chain store—Target, TJ Max, Home Depot...to name a few.

Posted by
824 posts

Public WIFI is not safe for ANY sensitive activities online. And this not "way over blown." On a public WIFI hotspot, whether it's a hotel, airline, telecom service, or municipal hotspot, you have no way of knowing what security features have been implemented and what encryption schemes are being used. Some of the legacy WIFI encryption schemes have been compromised for years now.

If you are going to use a portable electronic device for WIFI access ANYWHERE but your own home network, install and use a private virtual network service. My favorite is PIA and it only costs $39.95 a year for up to five devices. That's nothing compared to the time and money spent cleaning up after a compromise.

Posted by
5687 posts

Public WIFI is not safe for ANY sensitive activities online. And this not "way over blown." On a public WIFI hotspot, whether it's a hotel, airline, telecom service, or municipal hotspot, you have no way of knowing what security features have been implemented and what encryption schemes are being used. Some of the legacy WIFI encryption schemes have been compromised for years now.

Who cares about the "WiFi encryption schemes?" I don't - actually, I'm talking about open WiFi with no encryption at all. The encryption (SSL) is done by your web browser to communicate with the website. Any hacker snooping on your traffic with a radio would see packets of gibberish.

If SSL is not secure on public WiFi, it is not secure on your home internet connection, either. Stop using the internet entirely for any transaction involving financial transactions if you are really worried.