How to protect yourself on open wifi all know the trade-off between convenience and privacy when using public wifi. Public networks offer an easy way to stay online, but unsecured ones can leave you open to cyberattacks. One hacked connection can put your passwords, bank accounts and other personal information at risk, so it’s critical to take some simple steps to protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi.

The first step is to avoid unsecure networks whenever possible. If you’re in a public location, use your cellular provider’s data connection instead of the public Wi-Fi, or connect to a trusted network that’s encrypted and private. If you can’t avoid connecting to a public network, try to limit the number of services you use while connected and choose sites with HTTPS (instead of the more common http). The added security offered by https means that even if your website is hacked, it’s unlikely your login details will be stolen as the site will only accept a second verification code sent to your device via text or app.

Navigating Open WiFi: Tips for Securing Your Online Presence on Public Networks

Other attacks to watch out for when using public wifi include Man-in-the-Middle attacks, where bad actors intercept your connection between your device and the web server you’re visiting, or packet sniffing attacks, where attackers capture data units being transmitted over a network and then unpack them to extract individual login information or financial details. Fortunately, modern browsers are designed to automatically switch to HTTPS on trusted networks, so that helps reduce the risk of these types of attacks.