VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has one of the most accessible wi-fi networks in the world, but security risks exist.

Vietnam has one of the most accessible wi-fi networks in the world, but security risks exist.

Wi-fi cafes with free wi-fi first appeared in Vietnam about 10 years ago and then boomed from 2002 to 2006.

Wi-fi was not only offered at cafes but also at passenger coach stations or street tea shops, where people have a cup of tea worth VND3,000. 

However, Vietnam’s quality of internet is not good. A report of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) showed that with a 4.28/10 score, Vietnam ranks 102nd in the world in internet quality, falling by eight grades from five years ago.

However, Vietnam has one of the easiest and cheapest wi-fi services. Even wi-fi networks with passwords are accessible to smartphone and tablet users as they can exchange information about apps to use free wi-fi.

With the apps, anyone who knows the password of a certain wi-fi network is able to share with friends who install the same apps. When accessing a certain wi-fi network, the apps display the passwords for users to access the internet for free.

An analyst said that free wi-fi everywhere is one of the ‘specialties’ of Vietnam. This explains why many Vietnamese when traveling abroad, including developed countries, complain that they could not use wi-fi free of charge.

In fact, the internet infrastructure in many developed countries is very good, but people can only use wi-fi in some public places such as railway stations, airports and tourism sites, provided they declare their personal information.

Free wi-fi everywhere is one of the ‘specialties’ of Vietnam.

According to Japan Times, Japan does not have many free wi-fi points because the 3G and 4G networks are enough to satisfy customer demand.

In some countries, people bring laptops to use wi-fi everywhere. Meanwhile, in Japan, people bring 3G data packages or wi-fi routers to connect laptops, smartphones or tablets. 

On average, Japanese have to pay 500-800 yen, or VND90,000-145,000, for every 24 hours of access to wi-fi.

However, an analyst noted that since free wi-fi has been popular for a long time in Vietnam, it would be impossible to apply the Japanese model in Vietnam or force internet users to pay. 

Users of free wifi in large cities may have their private information such as account numbers, passwords and credit card information stolen.

Experts  pointed out that there could be three forms of attacks, including Man in the Middle (cyber attacks where a malicious actor goes between two parties & gains access to private information), Phishing (when internet fraudsters impersonate a business to trick users into giving out their personal information) and SSID Spoofing (criminals use spoofed service set identifiers (SSIDs) to lure wireless users).

At some shopping malls, wi-fi is offered to visitors for free, provided that they register or watch ad clips. However, the model is not a popular one.