Security News > 2021 > August > NSA Shares Guidance for Government Employees on Securing Wireless Devices in Public
The National Security Agency has published a new document to provide a series of recommendations on how governmental agencies in the United States can mitigate the cybersecurity risks associated with the use of wireless devices in public settings.
The NSA points out that securing devices for the use of public Wi-Fi hotspots is not enough, as their Bluetooth and Near Field Communications functions require similar attention as well.
"To ensure data, devices, and login credentials remain secure and uncompromised, cybersecurity is a crucial priority for users and businesses. This includes identifying higher-risk public networks and implementing security best practices while in public settings, whether connecting laptops, tablets, mobile phones, wearable accessories, or other devices with the ability to connect to the internet," the NSA says.
The agency's infosheet recommends a series of best practices for securing wireless devices when they are used in public places.
Bluetooth, the NSA notes, may be convenient for transmitting data between devices within short distances, but could pose a risk in public settings, where attackers may abuse the technology to access information about targeted devices or "Send, collect, or manipulate data and services on the device" by leveraging various Bluetooth compromise techniques.
Jake Williams, co-founder and CTO at incident response firm BreachQuest, commented, "While people should be generally cautious when connecting to public WiFi, advising them never to use public WiFi is not realistic for most. With the rise of ubiquitous encryption, particularly the use of HTTPS, the risks of using public WiFi today are a fraction of what they were even a few years ago."