2:38 Stuck without a data connection on the road? Free public Wi-Fi is one of those little luxuries that can make travelling easier, but you do need to exercise caution in how you use it. Here are some tips on what to look out for when using public Wi-Fi, whether you use a laptop, smartphone or tablet. Choose your network wisely Dave Cheng/CNET Tempted to connect to that elusive 'Free Wi-Fi' hotspot? It's worth doing your homework before selecting any network that's open or not familiar to you. For example, if you're in a coffee shop or public library, make sure to verify the name of the network with staff or on signage before connecting.

It's pretty easy for someone who wants to intercept your data in a to set up a network called 'Free Wi-Fi' or any other variation that includes a nearby venue name, to make you think it's a legitimate source. If you are connecting via Windows, make sure to turn off file sharing and mark the Wi-Fi connection as a public network. You can find this option in the Control Panel >Network and Sharing Center >Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

Under the Public heading, turn off the file sharing toggle. You may also want to turn on the Windows Firewall when connecting to a public network if it's not already activated. These settings are also found in Control Panel >Windows Firewall. Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET On Mac, open up System Preferences and navigate to the Sharing icon. Then, untick the checkbox next to File Sharing. And removing public home folder sharing options in OS X. You can also turn on the firewall within OS X by heading to System Preferences, Security & Privacy and click the Firewall tab.

Wireless security risks and defenses. In this interview, Kent Lawson. One culprit is free public WiFi, which was designed for convenience, not security.

Use a VPN Creating a virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best ways to keep your browsing session under wraps. A VPN client encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server, which means it's much more difficult for a would-be intruder to sniff your data. Setting up a VPN on Android. Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET If you don't already have a VPN set up through your employer or workplace, there are other options available. One free implementation is which offers ad-free VPN access with data limited to 300MB/day.

That's plenty of scope for checking email, looking at maps and other casual Wi-Fi uses. Is another option that offers a free tier, but also has a paid version that boosts speed.

For detailed instructions, here's how to set up a and. There are many other VPN services available, including paid and free options. It's worth doing your research to work out which is best for your needs, especially if you are a heavy-duty user. Helps to protect against session hijacking via browser extensions for Chrome, Opera and Safari, but on the VPN front it also offers a standalone Android app called that automatically detects unsecured Wi-Fi and activates a VPN where needed. Check for HTTPS Like the old saying goes, check for the lock in your browser to make sure it's secure.

One way you can force your browser to use HTTPS is through an extension, such as. This is available for Chrome, Firefox, Firefox for Android, and Opera. It's important to note that HTTPS Everywhere works by activating encryption on all supported parts of the website. As outlined in its FAQ: 'HTTPS Everywhere depends entirely on the security features of the individual web sites that you use; it activates those security features, but it can't create them if they don't already exist. If you use a site not supported by HTTPS Everywhere or a site that provides some information in an insecure way, HTTPS Everywhere can't provide additional protection for your use of that site.' Patch it up, check your apps It's time to start forming some good patching habits. Keep your browser and internet-connected devices up to date with the latest versions, but make sure to do this on a trusted home or work network -- not on public Wi-Fi.

There have been instances of travelers being caught off guard when connecting to public or hotel Wi-Fi networks when their device prompts them to update a software package. If accepted by the user, malware was installed on the machine. Also, if you're on a mobile device, don't assume that your apps are automatically secure or using HTTPS. Unless outlined by the app developer, it's safest to presume that the app is not conducting a secure transaction. In this case, you should use your browser to log on to the service, and check for a HTTPS connection in the status bar. Enable two-factor authentication It's good practice to enable on services that support it, such as Gmail, Twitter and Facebook.

This way, even if someone does manage to sniff out your password when on public Wi-Fi, you have an added layer of protection. On the topic of passwords, try not to use the same password across multiple services. There are plenty of password managers available to make your life easier --. Forget the network Once you are all done with your Web browsing, make sure to log off any services you were signed into. Then, tell your device to forget the network.

This means that your phone or PC won't automatically connect again to the network if you're in range. In Windows, you can uncheck the 'Connect Automatically' checkbox next to the network name before you connect, or head to Control Panel >Network and Sharing Center and click on the network name. Click on 'Wireless Properties' and then uncheck 'Connect automatically when this network is in range.' Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET On Mac, head to System Preferences, go to Network, and under the Wi-Fi section click Advanced. Then uncheck 'Remember networks this computer has joined.' You can also individually remove networks by selecting the name and pressing the minus button underneath. In Android, you can do this by entering into your Wi-Fi network list, long press the network name and select 'Forget Network.'

On iOS, head to Settings, select Wi-Fi networks, click the 'i' icon next to the network name and choose 'Forget This Network.' As an extra precaution, you should also turn on 'Ask To Join Networks' which is also found in the Wi-Fi networks menu.

Snooping Encryption normally helps protect your network traffic from prying eyes. For example, even if your neighbor at home is within range of your Wi-Fi network, they can’t see the web pages you’re viewing.

This wireless traffic is encrypted between your laptop, tablet, or smartphone and your wireless router. It’s encrypted with your Wi-Fi passphrase. When you connect to an open Wi-Fi network like one at a coffee shop or airport, the network is generally unencrypted — you can tell because you don’t have to enter a passphrase when connecting. Your unencrypted network traffic is then clearly visible to everyone in range. People can see what unencrypted web pages you’re visiting, what you’re typing into unencrypted web forms, and even see which encrypted websites you’re connected to — so if you’re connected to your bank’s website, they’d know it, although they wouldn’t know what you were doing. This was illustrated most sensationally with, an easy-to-use tool that allows people sitting in coffee shops or on other open Wi-Fi networks to snoop on other people’s browsing sessions and hijack them. More could also be used to capture and analyze traffic.

Compromised laptops and other devices may also be connected to the local network. When connecting, be sure to select the “Public network” Wi-Fi option in Windows and not the Home network or Work network options. The Public network option locks down the connection, ensuring Windows isn’t sharing any files or other sensitive data with the machines on the local network. It’s also important to be up-to-date on security patches and use a firewall like the one built into Windows.

Any compromised laptops on the local network could try to infect you. Protecting Yourself:, keep your computer up to date, and leave a firewall enabled.

Malicious Hotspots Most dangerously, the hotspot you connect to itself may be malicious. This may be because the business’s hotspot was infected, but it may also be because you’re connected to a honeypot network. For example, if you connect to “Public Wi-Fi” in a public place, you can’t be entirely sure that the network is actually a legitimate public Wi-FI network and not one set up by an attacker in an attempt to trick people into connecting. Is it safe to log into your bank’s website on public Wi-Fi? The question is more complicated than it appears.

In theory, it should be safe because the encryption ensures you’re actually connected to your bank’s website and no one can eavesdrop. In practice, there are a variety of attacks that can be performed against you if you were to connect to your bank’s website on public Wi-Fi. For example, can transparently hijack HTTP connections.

When the site redirects to HTTPS, the software can convert those links to use a “look-alike HTTP link” or “homograph-similar HTTPS link” — in other words, a domain name that looks identical to the actual domain name, but which actually uses different special characters. This can happen transparently, allowing a malicious Wi-Fi hotspot to perform a man-in-the-middle attack and intercept secure banking traffic. The is an easy-to-use device that would allow attackers to easily set up such attacks. When your laptop attempts to automatically connect to a network it remembers, the WiFi Pineapple watches for these requests and responds “Yes, that’s me, connect!”.

The device is then built with a variety of man-in-the-middle and other attacks it can easily perform. Someone clever could set up such a compromised hotspot in an area with high-value targets — for example, in a city’s financial district or anywhere people log in to do their banking — and attempt to harvest this personal data. It’s probably uncommon in the real world, but is very possible. Protecting Yourself: Don’t do online banking or access sensitive data on public Wi-Fi if possible, even if the sites are encrypted with HTTPS.

A VPN connection would likely protect you, so it’s a worthy investment if you find yourself regularly using public Wi-Fi. If you use public Wi-Fi connections regularly, you may want to invest in a VPN. As a bonus, a VPN will allow you to in place on the public Wi-Fi network, allowing you to browse whatever you want.

Amplitube 3 Authorization Code Keygen Idm. Image Credit.

Advertisement As many people now know, connecting to a public, unsecured wireless network can have serious risks. It’s known that doing this can provide an opening for all manner of data theft, particularly passwords and private information. The specifics of why an unsecure connection can be a problem is more obscure, however – as are the methods that can be used to beef up your security even when using an unsecured public hotspot.

Let’s have a look at the exact WiFi security risks of public networks, and the solutions available to counter those risks. Ah! My Airwaves! The problem of unsecured wireless networks is a part of the way radios work. Unless specifically designed to do so, a radio won’t broadcast in any particular direction. It will send information across the airwaves in all directions. As a result, anyone nearby can potentially pick up the data sent by a wireless radio, and if that data is unsecured, it can be read.

WiFi security works by encrypting the data sent. It can still be picked up, but can’t be easily read because of the algorithm used to scramble it. Most people understand this broad summary of the issue, but it’s actually a bit misleading, because it seems to imply that someone can simply open a notepad, connect to a public network, and watch passwords drop in. In truth, obtaining data even over a public WiFi network requires a certain level of knowledge about software such as, and your average person simply doesn’t possess the necessary skills.

Yes, there are tools like the for Firefox that can hijack sessions easily in theory, but in practice some technical knowledge is usually required to do anything truly malicious. HTTPS Security Is Your Friend Attempts to read data can sometimes be thwarted by the first line of defense on a public WiFi network – site or service encryption. For example, when you type in and send your password across a network, it does not need to be, and ideally should not be, sent as “plain text”. It should instead be encrypted via HTTPS or SSL. The same goes for all potentially sensitive information. Many sites will automatically switch to HTTPS when you visit a page that requires the exchange of potentially sensitive information. Some sites, like Google, and, give you the option to remain in HTTPS at all times.

You can decrease your risk when using any public network by making sure that any site on which you are entering potentially sensitive information is secured. Usually this is as simple as watching for the “https” prefix on the URL. If you’re on a public network, and the site is not secured, then just wait until you’re home before entering any important information. Although HTTPS can be great, it does depend on the website’s implementation, which is something you have no control over. A poorly designed HTTPS site could have huge security holes – and it’s never wise to assume that a site has great security just because it’s popular.

A VPN is a great way to make public WiFi secure for your use 100% of the time. VPN stands for and it’s a method of creating a secured connection even on a network that is public and unsecured. Instead of connecting directly to the Internet, you connect to a specific server, which is itself connected to the Internet. The connection between your device and the server is encrypted, so the information you send is protected even on unsecured WiFi. There are quite a few different ways to set up a VPN, but the easiest is to use a If you're looking for a free VPN, the choices are currently limited, with many services switching to a paid model. These free virtual private networks can be used to avoid region blocking and more. Free use of a VPN is usually limited to a certain amount of traffic per day or month, after which you’ll have to pay for more bandwidth.

The speed of your connection might also be handicapped unless you pay up. Tunnel For Safety. Another common method of creating a secure connection even on public WiFi is to use tunneling. Leave your shovel in the shed – this method is a server capable of SSH protocol. Tunneling is the process of placing a packet sent via a specific network protocol inside another packet using a different network protocol. In the case of SSH tunneling, all packets are placed inside SSH packets, which are encrypted. The packets are then sent to the designated SSH server.

This method can also be used to work around attempts to block access to specific websites, which can be handy if you’re on a WiFi hotspot that’s trying to prevent you from accessing certain content without paying up. You can tunnel either If you have your own virtual private server for hosting your website, you may not know you can also use it as a private proxy to get past various firewalls and internet blocks. Or, which presumably would be left at home. Conclusion The best way to make sure your information isn’t obtained when using a public WiFi network is to not send any sensitive information over the network.

This is not always practical, however, so the methods above can help provide extra security.