With all kinds of locations offering free Wifi – from coffee shops to entire city centres, it’s become a convenient way to check your emails, browse the web or catch up on social networking activities. However, public WiFi is exactly that. Public. It’s never going to be as secure as your home network, but taking a few precautions can help you to stay safe from cybercriminals while making the most of free internet connectivity.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CONNECTING TO

Don’t automatically connect to any network you discover – some open WiFi networks are deliberately set up by criminals to gather valuable information from the devices connecting to them. Sometimes, these networks will use a name that’s deliberately similar to the venue or area offering free WiFi, so if possible, look for official signage with the correct name, or check with an employee at the venue.

USE A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)

A VPN effectively creates a tunnel that encrypts your data as it travels to and from your device – this can help prevent your data being intercepted by someone else on the same network. VPN software is available for most devices, although there may be associated premium/subscription charges with some packages.

KEEP YOUR DETAILS SAFE

There is a chance that your identity, passwords or other details could be targeted by cybercriminals on any network that you connect to, but by avoiding using websites such as online banking, shopping, and other sites that may store your credit card information, you can minimise any risk. If you need to access sites containing sensitive information, consider using your mobile data connection instead of the open WiFi network.

You should also try to stick to secure websites and apps too. It is possible, however, that some apps could be accepting dodgy security credentials without your knowledge, so we’d recommend using the web version if possible as browsers are far more picky about verifying HTTPS connections.

Common sense dictates that it’s an extremely good idea not to use the same password across sites and apps, should anyone manage to gain access to one account.

PROTECT YOUR DEVICE

If possible, you should use a recommended security package for your phone, tablet or laptop to guard against malware and viruses, etc. Remember to keep both your software and system up-to-date too.

Having said all this, don’t be afraid to get connected to public WiFi while you’re on-the-go, just be aware of what you’re doing!