Public Wi-Fi poses major cyber risks

The warning bells are ringing when it comes to connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. Cybersecurity expert Rory Ebanks from Symptai Consulting Limited has a crucial message: anyone nearby can potentially access your sensitive information, especially if they have malicious intent.

He said that persons using these networks should ensure security settings on their devices are activated, and cautioned that they should avoid doing financial transactions on public networks.

Ebanks said that free access platforms and public forums can be playgrounds for cybercriminals looking to embed malicious links.

Most common cybercrimes work by stealing sensitive and personal information that can cause great damage to personal finances.

"Some top statistics that we all need to be aware of is that every 39 seconds there is a successful hacker attack, and the keyword here is 'successful'. So, outside of the successful hacker attack, literally every second there are thousands of attacks occurring at any given time. These are automated attacks that's happening on a day-to-day basis," Ebanks warned.

A whopping 92 per cent of attacks are caused by malware, primarily delivered through phishing emails. And get this -- over four million websites are infected with malware at any given time, Banks said.

The Jamaica Information Service has been promoting cybersecurity practices that safeguard users from online threats. To date, the agency has not experienced any significant digital breaches. Ebanks, who was the keynote speaker at a virtual cybersecurity session hosted by the agency, said persons should be vigilant when interacting in open spaces. He said the risks of cybercrime may be minimised by putting appropriate measures in place and being empowered with the right information.