Open Networks and Wi-Fi – Safe or Simply Convenient?
We have all decided on a specific day that today will be a ‘work-from-the-café’ day. We sit down, order our coffee and log onto the free Wi-Fi that is advertised.
Once our stint at the ‘café-office’ comes to an end, we shut our computers, pay the coffee bill and walk out, having happily achieved all you set out to achieve!
Have you ever asked yourself this question – how safe are you sitting at the café using an open Wi-Fi network to do your days work?
To answer this question frankly – you are at risk!
Two major factors to consider when you next need to use an open network; Theft of personal information and Unencrypted Connections!
1. Theft of Personal Information
One of the most severe and common threats concerns the theft of personal information. Personal information comes in many forms; login credentials, financial information, personal data and pictures.
If a hacker gets access to your computer or other personal devices through a compromised public Wi-Fi connection, they could have free rein over everything stored. For example, they might get access to your login credentials and log into your bank account or credit card.
2. Unencrypted Connections
When you are linked to a public Wi-Fi network, anyone within range of your computer can intercept everything you send or receive. If you are linked to an unencrypted website, it will all be fully readable.
The good news is that there are ways to avoid this threat!
Instead of connecting to public or ‘free’ Wi-Fi when you need to get online, use a cellular data connection or a portable hotspot, such as the Goodspeed 4G mobile hotspot.
These forms of connectivity give you a private connection that is much more secure than using a public link. It will be quite a bit faster in many cases since you are not sharing the connection with anyone else.
For more about what we are about and what services we offer, do reach out to us by heading on over to our About and Services pages or simply giving us a call on +27 21 556 3524.
We look forward to welcoming you into the Complete IT Business Solutions family.
