How to stay safe on public Wi-Fi

Safety advice on using public Wi-FI in 2020 Sadly even in 2020 using public Wi-FI hotspots can result in your data being compromised by hackers and cyber criminals. Whether you are in a cafe, bar hotel or airport pretty much everywhere now has free Wi-FI for visitors! Using public and unsecured Wi-fi is far riskier than people may be aware of. By installing a VPN onto your device this will provide crucial security to protect your privacy at all public Wi-Fi hotspots ensuring that all personal data such as online banking and other account logins are securely encrypted and can’t be compromised.  Our VPN partner and CyberSecurity giant Norton reported that in one year alone 594 million people around the world were victims of cybercrime in 2015, with 21% of Americans getting their email hacked and 12% having their financial data stolen after shopping online. With public Wi-Fi available everywhere, what seems like a convenience can actually put you at risk. Free public Wi-Fi is a hacker’s playground for stealing personal information (Source) <a href="https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-wifi-why-hackers-love-public-wifi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>  So how can I be hacked on Public Wi-FiThe biggest risk to using unsecured Wi-FI is hacker’s ability to place themselves between you and the end connection point. These are known as Man-in-the-Middle attacks which occur when an individual’s data is intercepted between one connection and another. Once this is done all your activity can be seen so it is imperative to never use online banking or sign in to any accounts on public

Wi-Fi without the added security layer a VPN offers. With a VPN your connection will be fully encrypted and invisible to anybody attempting this kind of attack. Without a VPN It’s also far easier for hackers to install malware on to your device without you even knowing it’s happened. Once dangerous malware is installed they may able to view your movements and even recover passwords for online banking and other online service providers. 

Hackers may also utilise rogue hotspots, this is where you think your are connecting to the hotspot from the location you are in or nearby. A common technique used by hackers is to rename hotspots to a make you think this and of course once connected you are sharing with them all of your online data and movements. 

CompareMyVPN Tips for Using Public Wi-FiUse a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN connection is pretty essential if you are using public Wi-Fi to provide you with a fully secure and encrypted connection. Many of the best VPNs will also send you a handy notification advising you your device has found an unsecured connection and with one click you will be protected.Use SSL connections. If you haven’t got a VPN don’t visit any sites that don’t have “HTTPS”. You can usually set your device or internet browser to only allow visits to more secure sites with https. Don’t log in to any sites that require your username/password in case your connection has been compromisedTurn off all sharing. Most devices allow you to send a receive files quickly. In your system preferences turn off sharing this will differ depending on your operating system or specific device.Turn your WI-FI off completely if you aren’t using your device for the internet. This will stop you automatically connecting and making contact with unsecure hotspots.  So in summary sadly data compromises on public Wi-Fi result in thousands of individuals and businesses leaking data to cyber criminals and in some cases cause enormous cost to those affected. To get the best VPN to keep you safe on public Wi-Fi in 2020 check out our top picks here <a href="https://www.comparemyvpn.com/compare/best2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>