Ways to Safely Use Free Public Wi-Fi Despite the Risks

Free public Wi-Fi is becoming more and more common these days. A lot of cities and towns across the globe already have it. Governments in a lot of countries like Greece and others are already planning to offer free Wi-Fi for the whole country. Besides, a few countries are also hoping that offering free public Wi-Fi can help enhance their economy. Beyond all these, it surely feels great for a person to use this free service. But there’s something more to it.

Is free Wi-Fi completely safe?

That’s one of the basic questions that you need to ask before going for any free public Wi-Fi service. And it is quite obvious that the skepticism will remain. People will feel a bit hesitant to use free public Wi-Fi.

What are the Worst Things that Can Happen?

Using a free public Wi-Fi can be dangerous at times. It can result in transfer of your personal data to the hackers. You can face different dangers due to this.

• Your accounts can be hacked, thus causing financial loss.
• Identity theft can occur through which the hacker can impersonate you.

Both of these can lead to dire consequences as well. So, it is always a good idea to take a proper precaution before moving into a free public Wi-Fi. A few easy steps to remain safe while using

Beware of the Hackers

One of the worst situations in case of hacking can occur when the hacker is able to set himself in a position to get hold of all your data. This can take place if he is able to place himself in a position between you and the point of connection. So, all the information that you are sending to the connection point is going to be transferred to the hacker. He will then pass it on to the connection point. So, the hacker will have all the information that would be needed by him to impersonate you or access your accounts.

Do Not Perform Banking Operations on Public Wi-Fi

This is one of the most important things that you need to remember if you are looking to stay safe on public Wi-Fi networks. Whenever you perform a banking operation, you submit your account details as well as the password on the internet. So, if it is a public Wi-Fi network, there is every chance that a hacker might get hold of that information. So, you should better not perform the banking operations online when you are connected to an open free Wi-Fi network.

Staying Safe on Free Public Wi-Fi

Hackers surely love free public Wi-Fi, but you can stay safe there as well. Using free Wi-Fi might seem quite dangerous at times. But not always. All you need to do is remain a bit alert. You have to undertake a few steps to make the experience of using free public Wi-Fi safe enough. One of the basic steps, of course, is to choose your password prudently. But that’s not all. Here’s a look at some of the steps to undertake to ensure a safe

Have the Latest Versions of the Software

When you are using your laptop, ensure that you have the latest version of the security software installed in it. This holds true for your operating system, web browser, anti-virus and anti-spamware software, firewalls, and so on. Whenever you are planning to connect to the internet using a free public Wi-Fi connection, this is imperative.

Do Not Store Passwords

There are quite a few websites on the internet, which offers to remember your password once you log into them. This surely makes your task easier. But wait before you click on the ‘remember me’ button. You might be giving away the password and, with it, the access to your account to the hacker. So, you should better refrain from storing the password while using a free public Wi-Fi.’

Turn File Sharing Off

Whenever you are going online through a free public Wi-Fi network, make sure that the file sharing is turned off. This is going to ensure that none of your important files are accessible to the hackers even then.

Use VPN

Using a virtual private network (VPN) while going online through free public Wi-Fi can reduce the risks to a great extent. The VPN helps to keep all your data in a safe position, thus ensuring that the data are kept safe.

Select the Right Network

Set your laptop in a position, which ensures that you can use the network manually. So, when it comes to using the free Wi-Fi network, try to select one that appears to be safe. It is always better to connect to a known option when it comes to selecting the Wi-Fi networks.

Free public Wi-Fi can surely be dangerous at times. It can result in loss of private data. But using it prudently can still help you have the most wonderful internet surfing experience.

Image Courtesy: pandasecurity.com