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Sensitive information should not be sent over public wi-fi hotspots, to avoid hackers stealing
it, Europe's top cybercrime police officer has warned.
Troels Oerting, head of Europol's cybercrime centre, told BBC Click people should send
personal data only across networks they trusted. He said the warning was motivated by the growing
number of attacks being carried out via public wi-fi.
Europol is helping a number of countries after such attacks, he said.
Stolen data "We have seen an increase in the misuse of
wi-fi, in order to steal information, identity or passwords and money from the users who
use public or insecure wi-fi connections," he said.
"We should teach users that they should not address sensitive information while being
on an open insecure wi-fi internet. "They should do this from home where they
know actually the wi-fi and its security, but not if you are in a coffee shop somewhere
you shouldn't access your bank or do all of these things that actually transfer very sensitive
information." Mr Oerting said Europol, which helps co-ordinate
investigations into organised crime across Europe, was assisting several member states
who had seen attacks carried out on wi-fi networks.
The attackers were not using novel techniques, he said, but relied on well-known approaches
that attempt to trick people into connecting to a hotspot that, superficially, resembles
those seen in cafes, pubs and restaurants and other public spaces.