Of Course WeWork Wi-Fi Is Unsafe
By now, you should know that public Wi-Fi hotspots are not safe to use. But recently, news that WeWork Wi-Fi exposes sensitive data sent shockwaves throughout the tech industry. The story is alarming. But for those paying attention it should come as no surprise. Here’s everything you need to know about the WeWork Wi-Fi vulnerabilities, and what you can do to protect yourself on shared networks.
What’s Wrong With WeWork Wi-Fi?
WeWork’s Wi-Fi vulnerabilities were first uncovered in a Fast Company story from August 2019. That report detailed WeWork’s outdated Wi-Fi security standards and weak password use.
The chosen password was so weak, in fact, that it regularly appeared in “worst passwords” lists. As for the Wi-Fi, WeWork employs WPA2 Personal networks at their sites. According to Wi-Fi alliance, simply having the password for this type of network “provides the added ability to decrypt traffic from any client within range.”
In the CNET follow-up story that sparked industry reactions in September 2019, WeWork member Teemu Airamo gave a first-hand account of just how unsecure WeWork Wi-Fi is. In 2015, he noticed that “hundreds of other companies’ devices and financial records” were easily accessible on his WeWork building’s network.
That discovery led Airamo to run regular scans of the WeWork Wi-Fi network. The result? In all, 658 devices were left exposed. According to CNET, they produced an “astronomical amount of data,” including “financial records, business transactions, client databases, and emails.”
In a statement, WeWork claimed that they take “the security and privacy of our members seriously and we are committed to protecting our members from digital and physical threats.” They’re actions prove otherwise, however. According to Airamo, his company has regularly reached out to WeWork in an attempt to solve the issue, but it was never properly addressed.
How to Protect Yourself on Co-working Networks
WeWork’s Wi-Fi issues are a bad look, but unfortunately, they’re all-too common. The co-working business could be using better Wi-Fi security, but out of laziness, ineptitude, or indifference, they choose not to. The same can be said for other co-working spaces around the world. But not everyone has the ability or willingness to run Wi-Fi scans like Teemu Airamo did. So, to avoid any risks, you should assume any Wi-Fi network you use is vulnerable to snooping.
Thankfully, though, you can still use these networks safely. One of the easiest ways to do so is with a
VPN, like RitaVPN. RitaVPN uses encryption to protect your connection on any Wi-Fi network. When you use
RitaVPN, it will shield your traffic from any onlookers. This will keep your work documents, personal details, financial information, and any other sensitive data protected at WeWork sites, as well as any other co-working Wi-Fi network.
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