Symantec's Survey Reveals, and PureVPN Agrees, That Hongkongers Have False Sense of Security

HONG KONG, August 2, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Eighty-seven percent of public Wi-Fi users in Hong Kong have put their online data at risk, according to a global survey done by Symantec. The survey was done on over 15,000 mobile users who have connected to public Wi-Fis in Hong Kong at some point.

There are over a dozen secure VPN services available in Hong Kong. Some, like PureVPN, even have headquarters in the city. And yet, most Hongkongers do not use these services to protect themselves from public Wi-Fi threats, according to the survey.

The survey reveals that around 60% of all users feel that their personal information is safe when they are connected to a public W-Fi network. However, 53% of these participants can’t even tell the difference between a secure and an unsecure Wi-Fi network.

Convenience over Security

Public Wi-Fis have long been considered as an important form of convenience. They help people connect to the World Wide Web when they’re not at home. Tourists take special advantage of public Wi-Fi networks when they travel abroad and stay in hotels or visit coffee shops. And the best part about using public Wi-Fis is that they cost absolutely nothing to your pockets.

But when convenience starts to weigh over security, bad things start to happen. Public Wi-Fis are already considered insecure by most cybersecurity experts. They are playgrounds for hackers, from where they can access and steal private data of any device connected to the network.

Public Wi-Fis have also been used to spread malware in the past. Those who have heard about Evil Twin Attack and Man In The Middle Attack would know how dangerous public Wi-Fi can be. 

Eliminating Security Risks

VPNs are considered as important tools that can ensure public WiFi security. A premium VPN service offers encryption that can prove to be very healthy for your device when connected to public Wi-Fi. VPNs ensure that hackers don’t get access to your device or monitor your traffic by keeping a tight lid over your online communications. 

However, 75% of public Wi-Fi consumers admit that they don’t connect to a VPN service to secure their Wi-Fi connection. Unless this particular stat changes, Hongkongers are very likely to find themselves in trouble if they are in the habit of connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. 

Source: PureVPN