Wi-Fi Hotspots
Securing Wi-Fi Hotspots To Protect your Information
There are many places that offer Wi-Fi hotspots across the county. These include coffee shops, libraries, airports, hotels, universities and other public places offer free access to the Internet.
Use caution because public Wi-Fi networks often are not secure. You’re sharing the hotspot with strangers, and some could be hackers.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) experts say that when using wireless hotspots, it’s best to send only personal information that is encrypted—either by an encrypted website or a secure network.
Only log in to websites that are fully encrypted when using a Wi-Fi hotspot because encryption scrambles information sent over the Internet into a code so that it’s not accessed by others. An encrypted website protects only the information sent to and from that site. A secure wireless network encrypts all the information you send while online.
You can tell if a website is encrypted by looking for https at the beginning of the Web address (the “s” is for secure), and a lock icon at the top or bottom of the browser window. Some websites use encryption only on the sign-in page, but if any part of the session isn’t encrypted, the entire account could be vulnerable. Look for https and the lock icon throughout the site, not just at sign in.
Wi-Fi Tips
Here are some tips to help check if a hotspot secure:
Those hotspots that do not require a password are not secure.
Should you be asked for a password through the browser simply to grant access, or asks for a password for WEP (wired equivalent privacy) encryption, it’s best to proceed as if it were unsecured.
Remember that a hotspot is secure only if it asks the user to provide a WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) password. WPA2 is even more secure than WPA.
FTC Recommendations
The FTC recommends these tips for a safer Wi-Fi experience:
Only log in or send personal information to websites that you know are fully encrypted. The entire visit to each site should be encrypted—from log in until log out. If you think you’re logged in to an encrypted site but find yourself on an unencrypted page, log out right away.
Log off, and do not stay permanently signed in to accounts. After using an account, log out.
Avoid using the same password on different websites. It could give someone who gains access to one account access to many accounts.
By Eric Worley
Learn More
Learn more tips for your trip
For more information on protecting your privacy online and what to do if your information is compromised, visit www.onguardonline.gov.
About The Author
Learn more about Eric Worley
Endless Quest - For Journalist and Photographer, Eric Worley, his travels take him on a endless quest for thrills and intriguing destinations across America and Beyond!
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