Free Wi-Fi increases sales. Customers with access to a free Wi-Fi network are more likely to stay longer on the premises of a given space. As a result, they will buy more products. But you have to be careful!
Free Wi-Fi: be careful because what’s cheap can be expensive!
Meanwhile, some companies offer free Wi-Fi to promote their products or services, as some solutions allow companies to create landing pages to share offers in real time.
Plus, free Wi-Fi is an easy way for businesses to stand out and make customers feel welcome.
By offering free Wi-Fi, companies create an advantage over their competitors who do not provide free Internet to customers.
Are public Wi-Fi networks safe?
No, public Wi-Fi networks are not secure. Connecting to public Wi-Fi in cafes, hotels, airports, or other public places makes you susceptible to some security threats.
For example, someone could create a malicious hotspot in the name of a legitimate network. And when you connect to it, someone has a hand in your online activities.
Another very common attack is called Man-in-the-Middle (MITM). In it, a third person intercepts the data between two points. Confused? When you connect to the Internet and visit a website, data travels between your device and the website. A poorly maintained public Wi-Fi connection makes it easier for data to be intercepted and everything you’re doing to be accessed.
Sniffing is another great danger. With cheap kits and tools, hackers can listen to your public Wi-Fi connection if your device isn’t secure enough and know everything you’re doing online.
Of course, in the midst of all this we still have malware infections.
How to use public Wi-Fi safely
Activate Firewall and Antivirus on your PC
A good firewall program and antivirus software can prevent malware attacks when you are using public Wi-Fi networks. Therefore, make sure you have enabled the firewall on your PC and that your antivirus program is up to date.
Although Microsoft Defender offers reasonable security, investing in a premium antivirus software program will be better considering the increasing number of cyber attacks.
Use a disposable email address to sign up for public Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi hotspots often ask you to submit your email address to start using the free Internet. Instead of giving out your personal email, you can use a disposable email address to protect your privacy.
Check if there is a secure connection
Always visit safe websites when using free internet connections offered by brands. To ensure that the website you are visiting is safe, look carefully at the website address. If the address does not include “HTTPS”, it is not a safe site to visit.
Use a trusted VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) will route your connection through a private internet server, mask your IP address, and encrypt data going to and from your device.
Even if you are connected to an insecure public network, they won’t be able to understand what you are doing due to the VPN’s strong encryption.
Make sure your network file share is turned off
When network file sharing is enabled, criminals can access shared files on your computer. Therefore, you should keep tethering turned off when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network.
Additionally, keeping sharing turned off when connected to an open network helps you avoid sharing important files with the wrong person by mistake.
Avoid Submitting Personal Information
When using a public Wi-Fi network, you should avoid filling in sensitive information online, such as: Card details, Social Security Number, Address, Telephone number, among others.
Forget about the network after using it
After using a public Wi-Fi network, always forget about the network. This will prevent automatic connection to the network when you are nearby, reducing the time your device is connected to a public Wi-Fi network.
Keep your OS and software up to date
Criminals also exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems and software programs to carry out various cyberattacks. Therefore, you should always keep your device and software programs up to date.
If you follow all of this you will be able to use public Wi-Fi without any problems or at least with much more security.
