How To Stay Safe On Public Wi-Fi When You’re Out And About

Free Wi-Fi is everywhere now: the garden centre cafe, the train, the hotel lobby, the airport departure lounge. It’s convenient, especially when your mobile signal is patchy or you’re trying to save data abroad. But a network you don’t control is a network you can’t fully trust, and a few simple habits make a real difference to how safe your phone, tablet and laptop are when you’re away from home.

Why Public Wi-Fi Carries A Risk

When you join your own home network, you know who set it up and who else is on it. On a public hotspot, you’re sharing the connection with strangers, and the network itself may not be well protected. Get Safe Online warns that on an unsecured connection, someone could intercept what you’re doing, which can include passwords and private emails.

There’s also the problem of fake hotspots. A criminal can set up a network with a believable name, such as something close to the cafe or hotel you’re in, and wait for people to connect. Everything you send through it passes through their equipment. Needing a password or access code to get on doesn’t prove a network is safe either.

Before You Head Out Or Go On Holiday

A little preparation at home means you’re far less exposed once you’re on the move.

• Install updates. Make sure your phone, tablet and laptop have the latest software and app updates before you travel, as these fix known security weaknesses.
• Back up. If a device is lost, stolen or compromised while you’re away, a recent backup means you don’t lose your photos and documents with it.
• Tighten up your key accounts. Strong, separate passwords and 2-step verification on your email and banking make a stolen password far less useful to a criminal. Our guide to strong passwords for the whole household walks you through it.
• Check your mobile data allowance. Knowing how much data you have, and what roaming costs apply abroad, makes it easier to skip public Wi-Fi when it matters.

Choosing A Network Sensibly

If you do need to use a hotspot, take a moment before you tap to connect.

• Ask staff for the exact name of their network rather than picking the first one that looks right. Be wary of open networks with generic names like “Free Wi-Fi”.
• Turn off any setting that makes your device join open networks automatically, so it doesn’t connect to something you didn’t choose.
• Once you’re finished, “forget” the network on your device so it doesn’t reconnect next time you pass by.

Get Safe Online’s advice is clear: don’t use Wi-Fi hotspots for anything private or sensitive, because they may be insecure or fake. Use your mobile data, a portable mobile router (sometimes called a dongle), or wait until you’re on a connection you trust.

What’s Fine To Do, And What Can Wait

Public Wi-Fi is perfectly reasonable for low-risk browsing, such as checking train times, reading the news, looking up opening hours or finding directions. The things to save for a trusted connection or your mobile data are the ones that would hurt if someone else saw them:

• online banking and moving money
• shopping where you enter card details
• logging into your main email account
• anything involving personal documents, such as a passport or medical details

If you really must do something sensitive, switch your phone from Wi-Fi to mobile data first. It only takes a second, and your mobile network is a far safer route than a stranger’s hotspot.

A Note On VPNs

A virtual private network (VPN) creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN service, which makes it much harder for anyone on the same Wi-Fi to see what you’re doing. It can be a sensible extra layer if you often work or browse on public networks. Bear in mind, though, that Get Safe Online points out the VPN provider itself could potentially access your communications, so choose one with care and don’t treat it as a reason to relax the other habits in this guide.

Protecting Your Devices In Public

Staying safe when you’re out isn’t only about the network. Some of the simplest risks are physical.

• Watch your screen. Be aware of people who could see what you’re typing, particularly on busy trains and in queues. A privacy screen filter can help on a laptop.
• Don’t leave devices unattended. A phone left on a cafe table or a laptop on a train seat is an easy target.
• Switch off Bluetooth when you’re not using it. Make sure your device isn’t left discoverable, avoid pairing new devices in public, and decline file transfers from anyone you don’t know.
• Keep an eye on background apps. Many apps connect to the internet quietly in the background, so it’s worth checking app settings before relying on an unknown network.

If Something Doesn’t Feel Right

Sometimes a public network will throw up a login page or a pop-up that seems odd, perhaps asking you to install something or warning that your device is infected. Close it and disconnect. A genuine hotspot should never need you to download software, and scary security warnings are a classic scam tactic. Our guide to spotting fake antivirus and tech support scams explains what these look like and how to close them safely.

If you think you’ve entered a password on a dodgy network, change it as soon as you’re back on a trusted connection, starting with your email account, and keep an eye on your bank statements.

Quick Checklist For Your Next Trip

• Update your devices and back up before you leave.
• Turn on 2-step verification for your email and banking, following the NCSC’s guide to 2-step verification.
• Turn off automatic joining of open Wi-Fi networks.
• Check the network name with staff before connecting.
• Use mobile data for banking, shopping and email logins.
• Keep Bluetooth off and devices within reach.

For more on using devices safely on the move, Get Safe Online’s advice on going online when you’re out and about is a useful read before any trip.

For more practical guides to keeping your home tech running smoothly, have a look around Beyond The Garden Gates.

Kaan Rassad

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