The following article from the Vancouver Sun supports the notion that Free Wi-Fi can be dangerous.
- Article rank
- 15 Oct 2016
- The Vancouver Sun
- [email protected]
Fox Nomad taps into free airport Wi-Fi passwords
JIM BYERS
Be careful when using public Wi-Fi. Do your banking or online purchases at home on a secure network.
Mobile phones and laptops are wonderful things that allow us to keep up with work and connect with friends and family from airports around the world.
Some airports may charge a hefty fee for Wi-Fi, but thankfully travel blog Fox Nomad has curated a map of airport Wi-Fi passwords so travellers can always log on for free around the world.
It’s great information. Still, there are dangers in using public Wi-Fi, so here are some things to consider next time you connect:
PHONEY NETWORKS
There are a lot of phoney networks being set up by crooks looking to gain your personal information, so be sure you’re dealing with an authentic network. Check in advance or ask someone in authority at the airport if you’re not certain. Be sure to have spyware and security on your laptop and/or phone, too. It’s worth a hundred bucks for security when you have so much personal information on your laptop or smartphone.
SKIP TRANSACTIONS
Try not to use a public network at a crowded airport to pay for your new snow blower or that new purse, or to transfer money to your kids’ account. Do your banking at home on what is (presumably) a secure network and leave your airport web surfing for nonfinancial matters. If you need to do your bank transfers at the airport, set up a Virtual Private Network that’s harder to hack.
STRONG PASSWORD
Watch your passwords at the airport. Just as folks can scan ATMs to guess your password, it’s not uncommon for criminals to stand near hapless web surfers at the airport Starbucks. Be sure to use a long and complicated password that would be harder for someone else to replicate. There are apps that help you remember or keep track of your passwords, including 1 Password.
CREATE HOT SPOTS
If you have a good roaming package with your smartphone, you can use your phone’s personal network feature to set up a personal hot spot for your laptop and avoid the airport Wi-Fi. Again, be sure you have a strong password. Instead of using your phone’s bluetooth function, try hooking your laptop up to your phone’s network via USB.
BACKUP SECURITY
Back up your files. Hackers aside, it’s always good to keep your important files on an external hard drive or backed up to the cloud in case you have problems with your laptop or smartphone.
POST CAREFULLY
Keep social media to a minimum. It’s nice to post family photos on Facebook. but don’t put out a notice to the world saying, “The WHOLE FAMILY is starting our two-week vacation AWAY FROM HOME today. See you next month!”
