PEOPLE have been warned to update their devices after details of a serious Wi-Fi issue emerged that could have devastating consequences.
This is especially the case if you ever use public Wi-Fi such as a cafe, restaurant, hotel or airport.
Microsoft has labelled the severity as “important”, the company’s second highest security rating.
Rather worryingly, the attacker doesn’t even need to physically access your machine, they just need to be near enough to access the same Wi-Fi network as you.
And unlike some nasty cyber scams, this one doesn’t even need to trick people into clicking anything.
The flaw happens via the Wi-Fi network, allowing a hacker to drop a malicious packet onto a victim’s device without the owner having any idea.
Once complete, the bad actor behind the attack can then run software and gain access to your files.
The issue affects all supported versions of Windows, whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Fortunately, Microsoft has put out a patch to fix the flaw.
If you haven’t installed it already you should do so soon, even if you rarely use public Wi-Fi.
Public Wi-Fi is extremely handy when you have poor signal or when you’re abroad to avoid hefty fees.
Hot-spotting to your laptop can quickly gobble data too, which is another time when free public Wi-Fi is helpful.
But many experts say using them can carry risks if you’re not adequately prepared with antivirus software.
Public networks may be lax on security with lack of encryption to keep data that passes through safe.
Some hackers also set up dummy networks using seemingly innocent names like “Free cafe Wi-Fi” which are fake and can view your personal information, according to Norton.
Even the FBI says on its website: “Be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network and do not conduct any sensitive transactions, including purchases, when on a public network.”
Most free Wi-Fi networks are probably safe – just be sure you’re protected before and don’t connect to any old network you see, check it’s the real deal first.
In 2019, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) compiled 20 of the most common passwords around.
Common passwords mean they’re easy for cyber thieves to guess – so if you’re using one of these on your router you might want to change it right now.
Names, favourite football teams, musicians and fictional characters are also very popular and therefore easy to guess.
The best sort of password is long and easy to remember – so the NCSC suggests using three random words strung together.
Of course, you shouldn’t recycle passwords on various platforms either. Should a hacker gain access to one they could then go onto access your other accounts.
So use a password manager to securely keep track of them all – Google Chrome and Safari can store these for you.
