Five tips to safely use Free Wi-Fi networks

Five tips to safely use Free Wi-Fi networks

Let’s face it, people love free Wi-Fi.  It’s convenient and offers you the ability to stay connected. There are risks though. Here are Five tips to safely use Free Wi-Fi networks.

Five tips to safely use Free Wi-Fi networks

1.)  Make sure you device has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall.

Do not turn either off when using public networks.  Even Android devices now offer anti-virus. There are many good free ones such as Comodo.

2.)  Avoid typing any sensitive information.

Save the banking for later. You will likely need to access your passwords and can consider using a password manager so that you do not have to physically type in your passwords. A good free one that I have been using for years is Access Manager.

3.) Turn off file sharing.

With so many people using home networks, file sharing is on. You must remember to turn it off. Depending on what version of windows you are using, the steps can differ. Here’s a quick guide;

Control Panel,  Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center.

Choose Homegroup and Sharing Options -> Change Advanced Sharing Settings.

Turn off file and printer sharing, and you turn off network discovery and Public folder sharing.

4.) Turn off Wi-Fi when not using it.

Many people simply leave the Wi-Fi setting on for convenience so that when they return home, their device automatically connects to their network.  Be sure to turn it off when not using it.

5.) Consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN allows you to route all your activity through a separate secure, private network, thus giving you the security of a private network even though you are on a public one.

A popular one that offers a free version is Hotspot Shield.

The Five tips to safely use Free Wi-Fi networks will help protect your information from prying eyes.

Related articles

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• VPN- Virtual Private Networks- Should secondary students be using them?
• Apple’s iOS 6.0.1 still has Wi-Fi bugs
• Smartphone Security: 5 Tricks that Will Help Keep Your Phone Secure
• Private WiFi VPN App Now Available For Mobile Devices
• Boingo Adds VPN Service To Mac And Windows Wi-Fi Finder App

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