My coffee shop's free WiFi gave me a scare last week

I went to this little cafe downtown called Brew & Bean to get some work done. I connected to their guest network without thinking twice, like I always do. But then I noticed my phone was showing a weird popup asking me to install a security certificate. That seemed sketchy to me, you know? I asked the barista about it and she had no idea what I was talking about. Turns out someone could have set up a fake hotspot right next to the real one. Has anyone else run into fake WiFi networks at places like coffee shops or libraries?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilys811mo ago

That popup asking for a security certificate is a huge red flag. Not something a real coffee shop wifi would ever do. A fake hotspot can definitely sit right next to the real one and steal your info if you click yes. Good call on asking the barista and walking away from that network.

black.laura1mo ago

Saw a news report about hackers doing this exact thing at airports too.