Wi-Fi security and fake ac/dc charges threaten your data at the 2014 World Cup

When we’re traveling we tend to bring lots of smart devices with us. It’s great to be able to share a beautiful photo, let people know where you are or put your latest news on Twitter or Facebook. It’s also a good way to find info about restaurants, hotels and transport connections. But to do all this you need an Internet connection.

Unfortunately, the cellphone data roaming plans are generally very expensive, so many travelers just go for free available Wi-Fi access points at the places they are, seeking them out and using them without any concern about security. However, this is a very risky approach because all the data you send or receive on open Wi-Fi networks could be intercepted. If this happens all your passwords, PINs and other sensitive data could fall šinto a cybercriminal’s hands. Indeed some cybercriminals install fake Access Points, specially configured to steer all traffic through a host which can control it, perhaps even functioning as a ‘man-in-the-middle’ machine that intercepts and reads encrypted traffic. There’s a serious danger of losing all your sensitive data, and with it all of your funds. When traveling far from home, this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Having this in mind, we looked into Wi-Fi access in Sao Paulo. We drove 100 km around the city and checked out more than 5,000 different access points. We focused on places that tourists visit – parks, malls, airports and other tourist attractions. So, how safe – or not – are Sao Paulo’s Wi-Fi networks? Let’s take a look.

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