Public Wifi is not any different to a payphone, water fountain or a filthy public toilet. That is according to antivirus company Norton, which has released a brand new program designed to prevent hackers from stealing users’ private information over unsecured Wifi….

Based on Norton, banking or financial advice has been got by more than one quarter of Australians while using public Wifi – but most folks can not tell the difference between a protected and safe connection.

The company says hackers intercepting consumer advice frequently and are eavesdropping, but 63 per cent of Australians believe their data is protected.

Software that are usually accessible can readily see traffic, possibly endangering social media accounts, e-mails, passwords, photographs, videos and fiscal advice.

From putting tracking cookies on your own apparatus it will block advertisers.

“We understand many consumers consider that using a password to get public Wifi means their info is safe, but that is not always true,” Symantec Norton Business Unit executive vice-president Fran Rosch said.

“Norton Wifi Solitude helps shield info, including passwords and credit card numbers, and refuses access to hackers who may be eavesdropping on an identical network.”

Popular programs found on Android devices lack security – sensitive information is transmitted by 14 per cent of Android programs without encryption.

“What turns individuals into simple targets is confusion about the security of Public Wifi networks,” said Mark Gorrie from Symantec Australia.

“Norton found that just 34 per cent of Australian consumers can differentiate between a protected and a risk-free Wifi network.

“Most folks presume that all Wifi networks accessible public places like airports, hotels and cafes have security built in. That is not true.

The program can also be used with cellular information.

The program costs US$30  for a year’s subscription on one apparatus, placing it at the higher end of VPN suppliers.

“We take privacy seriously, so we do not log information at all,” Gorrie said. “We are not getting the information to monetise it.”