More than a quarter of the Wi-Fi hotspots around Olympic venues in Rio de Janeiro are unsecure, analysis from Kaspersky Lab shows.
In the lead-up to the Olympic Games, Kaspersky analysts and researchers mapped and assessed the security of the Wi-Fi networks visitors will encounter.
More than 4,500 single unique access points were discovered in areas near Olympic Games venues.
The assessment found that 18% of Wi-Fi networks tested were unencrypted, and a further 7% of the hotspots use WPA-Personal encryption, an algorithm currently considered obsolete which can easily be compromised.
“This is especially concerning as users who connect to these networks may believe their information is protected, when in reality, these networks can be compromised, allowing criminals to carry out different types of attacks to manipulate the traffic and user data being exchanged through them," said Dmitry Bestuzhev, head of research and analysis for Kaspersky Lab Latin America.
“"It is possible to use open Wi-Fi networks and still navigate the web safely. However, the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is necessary.”
Analysts from Kaspersky Lab conducted research around popular areas, specifically the Brazilian Olympic Committee, the Olympic Park and the Maracana, Maracanãzinho and Engenhão.