Safety Tips: Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-FI is an important tool. It allows today's mobile computer users to access their email messages, scan the web, and download photos and videos while in coffee shops, public parks, and hotel lobbies.
But this convenience comes with a cost. Public Wi-Fi can come with serious security issues.
You never know who might be spying on you as you surf the web in that bookstore.
Fortunately, you can protect yourself while using public Wi-Fi, and the TechNewsWorld website outlines how to do it.
Look for HTTPS
TechNewsWorld author Patrick Nelson writes that you should always make sure that any sensitive websites that you are using — especially those dealing with your financial or other personal information — use what is known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protection.
You can tell when you're accessing a site with SSL protection because the address bar in your web browser will use the "HTTPS" designation instead of the "HTTP" protocol. The "S," by the way, refers to "secure."
HTTPS encrypts the data. This means that cyber spies will see nothing but gibberish if they're spying on your public Wi-Fi surfing.
Use a Virtual Private Network
If the site you want to visit doesn't feature SSL protection, you can still protect yourself from Wi-Fi snoops. You'll have to create a Virtual Private Network (VPN), though, to do so. Such a network creates a type of tunnel from your location to the Internet. Everything in that tunnel becomes encrypted.
Fortunately, Nelson spells out in his TechNewsWorld story how to do this.
First, you'll have to do a web search for a VPN provider. You can go with either a free source — which will often restrict the amount of data that you can consume — or a fee service. Once you find a VPN provider that you like, sign up for an account, and follow the instructions to download and configure the VPN.
When you want to launch the VPN, select it from the network options choice in your Windows taskbar. Then open your web browser. Your web traffic will now be encrypted.
Wi-Fi cautions
This may seem excessive, but it is the best way to protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi.
Remember, cyber criminals aren't going anywhere, and these criminals are big fans of Wi-Fi. If you need to access sensitive websites in a public location, make sure to protect yourself, or you might wind up in a financial mess.
Read more at TechNewsWorld
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