The less catchy title of this blog is \u201cDON\u2019T USE OPEN PUBLIC WIFI!!!\u201d Doing so may expose you, quite literally, to the world.
\nI am the mother of a teenager– a really smart teenager who is proficient at Snapchat\u00ae, Instagram\u00ae, WhatsApp\u00ae and a host of other applications (Facebook\u00ae of course has been left for we older folks). I vainly tried to explain the dangers of open wi-fi to this smart person a few days ago, to be met with an eye roll and a \u201cc\u2019mon mom, it\u2019s no big deal. Free wi-fi is everywhere if it weren\u2019t safe I would know\u201d.<\/p>\n
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Well, dear reader and dear daughter, it is indeed true that open wi-fi (i.e. wifi that you don\u2019t need a password to access) is EVERYWHERE, and this is likely why the many warnings of danger have been so ignored. We love our free wi-fi, and the free public wi-fi has been a magnet for business for every caf\u00e9 and coffee shop around.
\nBut the dangers ARE real. And if your phone is set (as many are) to automatically connect to available wi-fi, you are literally walking naked down the aisle of a big bus, in full view of every person you pass. Now that I have your attention, let\u2019s talk specifics.
\nOpen wi-fi has many risks including:
\n1. Man-in-the-Middle attacks. This is exactly what it sounds like \u2013 someone intercepting your data as you send it from your device over the open wi-fi. As tech gets better and better, this is a really easy way for third parties to access everything you are doing.
\n2. Fake open wi-fi. It is a relatively easy thing to create a hotspot and name it as you wish. So, when you are sitting at the Blue Spot Caf\u00e9 and your device shows a free \u201cBlue Spot Guest\u201d available wi-fi connection, the only way to know if that is indeed the name of the caf\u00e9\u2019s wi-fi is to go ask. And few do.
\nBest advice? DON\u2019T USE OPEN PUBLIC WI-FI. Many hotels with public wi-fi have secure wi-fi as well, make it a point to ask. With so many phone plans with unlimited data, you may not even really need the wi-fi anymore, turn that automatic search for wi-fi OFF. And if you must use the public wi-fi, then use a virtual private network (VPN) (some employers offer this, if not it is easy to purchase and use). Don\u2019t leave yourself logged in to any accounts, and don\u2019t visit sites unless they are using HTTPS.
\nExperts estimate that last year over 16.7 MILLION people were victims of identity fraud. Don\u2019t make yourself an easy addition to the 2018 victim numbers by using public wi-fi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The less catchy title of this blog is \u201cDON\u2019T USE OPEN PUBLIC WIFI!!!\u201d Doing so may expose you, quite literally, to the world. I am the mother of a teenager– a really smart teenager who is proficient at Snapchat\u00ae, Instagram\u00ae, WhatsApp\u00ae and a host of other applications (Facebook\u00ae of course has been left for we older folks). I vainly tried to explain the dangers of open wi-fi to this smart person a few days ago, to be met with an eye roll and a \u201cc\u2019mon mom, it\u2019s no big deal. Free wi-fi is everywhere if it weren\u2019t safe I would know\u201d. [maxbutton id=”1″ ] Well, dear reader and dear daughter, it is indeed true that open wi-fi (i.e. wifi that you don\u2019t need a password to access) is EVERYWHERE, and this is likely why the many warnings of danger have been so ignored. We love our free wi-fi, and the free public wi-fi has been a magnet for business for every caf\u00e9 and coffee shop around. But the dangers ARE real. And if your phone is set (as many are) to automatically connect to available wi-fi, you are literally walking naked down the aisle of a big bus, in full view of every person you pass. Now that I have your attention, let\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[29,19,11],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"yoast_head":"\n