WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF ON PUBLIC WIFI

HTTPS WEBSITES ARE MORE SECURE

Short for “Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure”, HTTPS

(the little lock next to a website’s URL in the address bar)

means the owners have added an extra layer of protection.

Most major websites will include this feature which lowers

the danger of accessing it on public WiFi but does not

eliminate it. Try using only HTTPS websites when not

on a secure network.

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION MAKES YOU SAFER

You’ve probably been asked by Gmail, Twitter, or another

account if you would like to turn on two factor (or two-step)

authentication. It’s a wise move. If a hacker gets your

password when you’re on public WiFi, using two step

authentication gives you an extra layer of protection

from their access to your accounts.

NEVER CONNECT AS A HOME NETWORK

After connecting to a WiFi network, your computer will often

ask if you want to be able to share files with other users,

effectively making it a home or business network. While this

is useful for those networks, it’s like leaving your front

door open; in Manhattan; with a sign advertising free stuff;

where the free stuff is all your possessions.

TERMS & CONDITIONS DON'T MAKE YOU SAFER

Just because a page asks you to accept Terms & Conditions

before connecting doesn’t mean it’s any safer than one

that doesn’t. The page is likely there to protect the WiFi

owner legally rather than to protect you.

FORCE YOUR BROWSER TO ENCRYPT

Browser add-ons such as Force-TLS and HTTPS-Everywhere

are free and can help protect you on public WiFi. These

add-ons force your browser to encrypt popular websites

which may not otherwise be encrypted. It won’t work on

every site – look for HTTPS in the address bar to be sure.

USE A FIREWALL

Most laptop operating systems come with a firewall installed.

A barrier to foreign intrusion, a firewall adds an extra layer

of security to your device which keeps you safe while

connected. Make sure to keep it turned on and updated!

FAKE HTTPS CONNECTIONS

Even though HTTPS is presumably secure, hackers

have found ways around it. The attack sslstrip can take over

your HTTPS connection and convert the link to a

similar-looking HTTP page, giving the hacker access

to data you thought was secure.

HAVE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE INSTALLED

This should go without saying, but in today’s age, it’s

critically important to have a strong antivirus software or

security program. Trojans and viruses were famous in the

early days of the internet and haven’t gone away.

Use an antivirus to beef up your computer’s security.

(In case something does happen, regularly back up your

computer to the cloud or an external hard drive, this will

allow you to restore your computer to the way it was if

you do get infected.)