Broadband customers still failing to secure broadband connections

According to a recent report many wireless broadband customers are still failing to secure their connections, and this is putting them at risk from those engaging in ‘piggybacking’.

Over recent years an increasing number of broadband customers in the UK have enjoyed the flexibility, mobility, and convenience offered by having a wireless connection, which then enables them to use the computer anywhere in the house or perhaps even in the garden. However, there are risks involved with these wireless connections, and the results of a recent study have shown that many wireless broadband customers are still failing to protect themselves against these risks.
Piggybacking is a term given to a growing phenomenon that involves someone who is close to a property with wireless broadband using the broadband connection for free without the actual owner of the broadband connection even realising it. Not only is this irritating and can affect your download speeds but it can also put you at risk of losing sensitive information to a complete stranger.

Officials state that someone that is using your broadband connection to get online could do everything from look at your emails and obtain sensitive data about you to download content that you end up paying for and even conduct illegal activities that you could then end up getting the blame for. This is why it has become so important for wireless broadband customers to ensure that they have the proper security in place.

According to the results of recent research one in every nine people has used someone else’s wireless broadband connection to get onto the Internet themselves. Furthermore, fifty percent of these users have admitted to hacking into the emails of the person whose connection they have been using. A further twelve percent had downloaded content using these connections.

Worryingly one sixth of households with wireless broadband have not got protection for their wireless broadband router. Officials recommend using a password for accessing their WiFi connections. Also, consumers should ensure that they have a firewall and security software in place to provide themselves with increased protection.