Tech Tips for Non-Tech People!
Original Air Date: Mar 15, 2013
Public WiFi Dangers
It’s time for another Data Doctors Tech Tip
By now, you should be aware of the dangers of using public wifi connections; you will always be a potential target.
That’s right, free wifi allows anyone to connect to the network including those with malicious intent. Hackers can use something called a packet sniffer to capture everything your computer is transmitting on the open network
If all you do on public wifi is check sports scores, watch YouTube videos or other non-sensitive activities, you have nothing to worry about.
But the minute you have to use a username and password to get to something that you care about, or put your credit card number into a form, it’s time to stop and think!
Do you really need to do this right now or can it wait until you get to a more secure connection.
If you have to do it from a public connection, make sure the address starts with https or don’t do it. The “S” means secure or scrambled.
The best way to be safe when you travel is to use your smartphone on your cellular providers data network or set it up as a hotspot for your laptop.
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