Risks of Using Public Wifi that You Should Know

I have been traveling for some time now and I rely on the free internet connection I get from the guesthouses I’ve stayed in, restaurants, cafes and some internet shops. I frequently use internet to maintain my blog, transfer money to my bank account, communicate via email or other social media platforms, receive and send Paypal payments etc.

And because I’m frequently accessing personal and financial information online, I have always been very wary about using free internet connection because of the possible dangers that it sometimes entails. I try to use secure connections for as much as I can than unsecured ones.

Usually secure connections have a username and password that you have to login and unsecured connections are just open for all for the taking. But sometimes even secured connections can pose some possible risks when you used it.

In the past I have also used unsecured connections that my laptop had detected due to the unavailability of secured connections. But during those times, I tried to limit my usage to just browsing and I do not access my Paypal nor login to my bank’s website.

Here are some possible dangers that you should be aware of when you use a public wi-fi with an unsecured connection:

1. Identity Theft: When you log in to an unsecured connection, it’s so easy for a fraudster to get hold of your personal details, logins and passwords, emails and other important data that they could get.

2. Unauthorized Access to Your Finances: Aside from phishing for your personal information on your computer, fraudsters also try to get into your financial data. You can usually run into this risk when you use an unsecured connection to shop online and enter your credit card details, make payments or access your bank’s website.

3. Malware: There have been some reports in the past that malware can get distributed in the guise of a software update and to better avoid acquiring a malware when using public connection is to install an antivirus/anti-malware software or use a VPN connection.

These are just some of the possible risks that we can all run into when using unsecured public connections. Make sure to necessary precaution when you use one. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing more tips on how you could protect your data especially when you are online.