Most of us usually search for a free Wi-Fi hotspot on our holidays to connect, in order to avoid data charges from mobile operators.
Most of us connect all devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, to public open Wi-Fi spots, so we can access our e-mails, surf the Internet, or post on social media.
But are we aware of the proper and safe use of free Wi-Fi access points?
The internet access equipment manufacturer, “devolo”, advises us:
How to get a secure connection
The first big step towards a secure connection is choosing the right free Wi-Fi. The connection must be made manually and not automatically.
A very common trick of cybercriminals is to create a network connection similar to a secure network. If you are not careful you can fall into the trap and thus share your personal data with them.
For the same reason, when traveling, you must turn off the automatic connection option to known networks.
If you log on automatically, you become a target for hackers who may, for example, have created a network similar to that of the airport or cafeteria you are in, using the same login information. In the worst case, your device will automatically connect to the wrong network without even realizing it.
Disable file and folder sharing
If you use your laptop to connect to public Wi-Fi, it would be good to turn off file and folder sharing. Sharing at home is an easy and convenient way to share files and data between computers at home. But when you connect to a public network, you may attract potential attacks.
So it’s a good idea to have sharing turned off. After all, you’re on vacation, you don’t need that.
Hope for fast speed
If you need to handle large and important files while you’re not at work or at home, it’s a good idea to copy them to mobile devices, or take them with you to a USB storage.
This gives you two big advantages: avoid security risks you would have if you downloaded files from free Wi-Fi, while at the same time saving yourself endless hours of downloading.
After all, public networks are not known for their high speed performance.
Make sure the connections are secure
Secure and encrypted Internet connections are particularly important and even more important when we are talking about free public Wi-Fi.
Encrypted connections ensure that the transferred data is unreadable to other users on the same network. This plays a crucial role when transferring payment information or other personal information.
For safer connections you should use links known as HTTPS. You can easily identify them as the browser displays a padlock next to the link you are visiting.
Finally, before your trip, make sure you download the latest updates to all your devices, especially those for security upgrades.
It’s the only way to make sure any gaps in your security are closed, so that malicious attacks don’t be a problem when you connect to public networks.
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