22:58
Faizan
In a recent survey, 75% of tablet owners and 57% of smartphone / mobile phone owners stated that they use public Wi-Fi hotspots. The number of free public Wi-Fi hotspots is growing, but not every hotspot can provide the protection of a private home network, data sent through public Wi-Fi can easily be intercepted, many mobile device and laptop users are risking the security of their personal information, digital identity and money. Furthermore, if their device or computer is not protected by an effective security and anti-malware product- the risks are even greater.
If you want to keep your information and files secure, read these essential tips for protecting yourself when you're away from home.
Turn Off Sharing
You may share your music library, printers or files, or even allow remote login from other computers on your Wi-Fi network in the privacy of your own home. Unless you disable these settings before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, anyone else in the vicinity may be able to hack into your PC.
If you're using a Windows PC, you'll want to start by opening the advanced sharing settings of the Homegroup section of the Network and Internet settings in the Control Panel. From here, you'll be able to toggle file and printer sharing as well as network discovery, which will make your computer visible to anyone connected to the same network. For Mac, just go to System Preferences, then Sharing, and make sure none of the options are checked.
Practice Good Internet Hygiene
Perhaps the first and biggest piece of advice we can give you, beyond software, and beyond tools that promise to protect your privacy, is to practice good internet hygiene. Avoid working with-at least online-sensitive data when you're using unsecured, public Wi-Fi. It may be a good time to check the news or read your favorite blogs, but it's probably not the best time to do your online banking, if you catch my drift. Of course, if you have methods to secure yourself like the ones we mention below, you can rest a little easier in this regard, but remember, you should care about security on that coffee shop network. It's unlikely that someone's snooping on it, but it only takes once to lead to identity theft, or worse.
Avoid using specific types of website
It's a good idea to avoid logging into websites where there's a chance that cybercriminals could capture your identity, passwords or personal information - such as social networking sites, online banking services or any websites that store your credit card information.
Avoid Automatically Connecting to Wi-Fi Hotspots
Your smartphone or tablet may be set to automatically connect to any available Wi-Fi hotspot, a setting that can seriously endanger your privacy. Not only will this allow your device to connect to public networks without your express permission, you may also be automatically connecting to malicious networks set up specifically to steal your information.
Most modern smartphones have this option disabled by default, but this isn't always the case, and it's a setting you should always double-check. First, open the Wi-Fi section of your phone's settings app. If you don't see an option to disable auto-connecting, you're already safe. Otherwise, turn this setting off.
If you want to keep your information and files secure, read these essential tips for protecting yourself when you're away from home.
Turn Off Sharing
You may share your music library, printers or files, or even allow remote login from other computers on your Wi-Fi network in the privacy of your own home. Unless you disable these settings before connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, anyone else in the vicinity may be able to hack into your PC.
If you're using a Windows PC, you'll want to start by opening the advanced sharing settings of the Homegroup section of the Network and Internet settings in the Control Panel. From here, you'll be able to toggle file and printer sharing as well as network discovery, which will make your computer visible to anyone connected to the same network. For Mac, just go to System Preferences, then Sharing, and make sure none of the options are checked.
Practice Good Internet Hygiene
Perhaps the first and biggest piece of advice we can give you, beyond software, and beyond tools that promise to protect your privacy, is to practice good internet hygiene. Avoid working with-at least online-sensitive data when you're using unsecured, public Wi-Fi. It may be a good time to check the news or read your favorite blogs, but it's probably not the best time to do your online banking, if you catch my drift. Of course, if you have methods to secure yourself like the ones we mention below, you can rest a little easier in this regard, but remember, you should care about security on that coffee shop network. It's unlikely that someone's snooping on it, but it only takes once to lead to identity theft, or worse.
Avoid using specific types of website
It's a good idea to avoid logging into websites where there's a chance that cybercriminals could capture your identity, passwords or personal information - such as social networking sites, online banking services or any websites that store your credit card information.
Avoid Automatically Connecting to Wi-Fi Hotspots
Your smartphone or tablet may be set to automatically connect to any available Wi-Fi hotspot, a setting that can seriously endanger your privacy. Not only will this allow your device to connect to public networks without your express permission, you may also be automatically connecting to malicious networks set up specifically to steal your information.
Most modern smartphones have this option disabled by default, but this isn't always the case, and it's a setting you should always double-check. First, open the Wi-Fi section of your phone's settings app. If you don't see an option to disable auto-connecting, you're already safe. Otherwise, turn this setting off.
Posted in: antivirus
