The expert warned about the risks of criminal prosecution due to unsecured Wi-Fi

Using an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot at home can lead to serious consequences, including criminal prosecution. On October 12, Gleb Derevlev, senior lecturer at the Department of Practical and Applied Informatics at RTU MIREA, told about this.

"The owner of the access point is responsible for the use of the access point. <..."If illegal actions are being committed through your Wi-Fi, such as the distribution of extremist materials, cyber fraud, or illegal access to other people's data, it is you, as a subscriber to the network, who will be held accountable for violations," he said in an interview with RT.

In addition, he noted that in suburban conditions, the risk of hacking smart home systems increases, attracting fraudsters using Wi-Fi analyzers to search for security vulnerabilities.

According to Derevlev, one of the main threats is the possibility of using someone else's Wi-Fi to access the Internet anonymously in order to commit criminal acts. Even if it is possible to prove that an unauthorized person committed the actions, the fact of using the network can lead to access being blocked and fines.

The expert also stressed that simple passwords such as "12345678" or "qwerty" can be picked up in a matter of minutes, while complex passwords do not provide complete security without modern WPA3 encryption. In addition, many routers have vulnerabilities that can be exploited even by ordinary people without the necessary qualifications, Derevlev warned.

To enhance Wi-Fi protection, the expert recommended regularly checking the list of connected devices through the router's administrative panel, setting complex passwords and updating the device's software in a timely manner. In addition, you should disable the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup, a standard for creating a wireless network) function, which can be used by hackers to crack a password.

"In case of suspicion of unauthorized connection, it is necessary to contact the provider with a request for traffic details. This will allow us to identify abnormal activities, such as downloading large amounts of data at night or accessing prohibited resources," the teacher explained.

In conclusion, he added that the victim of hacking can contact the police on the fact of misuse of the network. However, it is necessary to have evidence for this.

Hacking watch: Russian companies have increased demand for full-time "white" hackers

They are actively sought on recruitment sites and on the recommendations of customers whose systems have been tested.

On October 2, the Department for Combating the Illegal Use of Information and Communication Technologies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation warned Russians against storing data in modern smartphones. The information that is especially important to protect includes photos of documents, passwords, and bank notifications. As emphasized, it is better to transfer this data to an offline format.

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