Protect Yourself on Public Wi-Fi

When you connect to an access point at your favorite coffee shop or convenience store, everything you do online can be hijacked by someone else who is also connected. Regardless of how complex your passwords are, or how careful you are online, there are certain elements that you will want to take into consideration before web surfing on public Wi-Fi.

Use a VPN Client

If you are going to be on public Wi-Fi, then you should be using Virtual Private Network (VPN) client software. VPN software encrypts everything you do online, so if anyone tried to compromise what you were doing online, they would get a bunch of useless gibberish rather than your credit card information. The disparity between the endless sea of VPN clients can be overwhelming, but for the average user, just make sure that you go with a reputable name such as Nord VPN, AVG Secure, and TorGuard. Each of these all have free trials of their software and affordable subscriptions so you can try before you buy.

Have Up-To-Date Anti-Virus Software

You never know what you are connecting to, so you want to make sure your computer has defenses against viruses that could be around. Having up-to-date anti-virus software from a reputable company can significantly reduce the risk of your computer being infected. Norton, AVG, and Mcafee are some of the top names in malware defense software and will save you the headache of losing your personal files and information.

Make Sure Your Firewall Is On

Your firewall is crucial to blocking unwanted intruders from accessing your computer. When your firewall is off, anyone connected to the public Wi-Fi could get into your computer through the network. Generally, people turn off the Windows firewall as a result of the irritating notifications and then forget about it. If it is off, go to Control Panel, "Firewall and Security" and select "Windows Firewall." If you are on a Mac, you can go to "Security and Privacy," then turn on the "Firewall" tab to enable it.

Do Not Use Your Credit Cards or Banking

Though you can do this in the privacy and comfort of your own home network, it is always a safe bet to stay away from making purchases or accessing your bank accounts while connected to public Wi-Fi. Anything that requires your personal information that could result in identity fraud should be avoided if at all possible. If you absolutely must embark on these types of transactions, make sure your VPN Client is enabled and that you are connecting to all websites using HTTPS, which any reputable bank or credit card website should force by default.

Conclusion

Public Wi-Fi is a great feature that many businesses offer to attract customers and give people a better overall experience. However, they are not sufficiently safe, and you can never be too cautious when using it yourself. With the right preventative methods, you can give yourself the best chance at keeping your data private and staying secure while online.