Is free airport Wi-Fi worth the security risk? Here's what the experts say

You're transiting through Dubai or Singapore on the way to London, and you have two hours to wait for your connecting flight.

Do you connect to the free airport Wi-Fi to kill some time and message your loved ones?

Using free Wi-Fi networks while travelling is convenient, but hackers target tourists using these unsecured networks.

Hackers can steal your passwords, data, messages and photographs which can lead to identity and money theft, no matter the airport you're in.

According to Macquarie University Department of Computing Cyber Security Hub executive director, Professor Dali Kafar, free airport Wi-Fi is high risk because it has weak security.

"Those places have higher hackers' presence because hackers target tourists by setting up these free hotspots because they know that tourists would be in need of those unusually low-security networks for convenience," Prof Kafar told ACM.

But it's not just free Wi-Fi at airports you should be wary of. The same rules apply to using free Wi-Fi anywhere - whether it's at a hotel or Airbnb, cafe or bar, or public space.

According to Prof Kafar, the most common way hackers access your data is by creating an "evil twin network" which is a fake free Wi-Fi spot that looks very similar to a legitimate free network.

For example, you might be sitting at Starbucks and there are two Wi-Fi networks available to you: "Starbucks free Wi-Fi" and "Starbucks Wi-Fi". Which do you choose?

Professor Kafar said one could be legitimate, and the other could be controlled by a hacker.

"Most people would just not even bother looking and checking," Prof Kafar said.

"The risk is that all your data is basically being sent to that particular device that is controlled by the hacker."

If you fall victim to a hacker, the consequences can be dire. They could intercept your data and install malware, capture your login credentials, messages and financial details.

This includes passwords, emails, sensitive details, web browsing history, web browsing, files, images exchanged or sent.

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"You pretty much give them everything as if they were recording every single activity that you're doing. It sounds too bad to be true, but that is really the risk."

Prof Dali said if you absolutely must connect to free Wi-Fi while travelling, heed the following rules.

"Hackers often sleep on access allowing enough time to access everything they need to steal your identity, money or other information," he said.

Mr Seghal said using Wi-Fi at bars and restaurants is the most dangerous and the easiest to intercept for hackers.

He also recommended using Two-factor authentication (2FA) on your important accounts.

"Always recognise the network before connecting. Always turn off your Bluetooth on the phone if it's not currently working. Do not leave your devices unattended," he advised.

"While overseas, always try to connect to Australian websites ending with .com.au or .au. Do not click on links that you don't recognise. Do not scan QR codes or barcodes before knowing [if they are safe] (even if they are restaurants' barcodes)."