Online threats are increasing day by day among people who use public Wi-Fi services. Open public Wi-Fi is easily available almost anywhere in our cities without any need for a password to connect and use. This is why you can easily get into the hands of malicious hackers. These hackers use numerous ways to keep a track of online activities of people. This is why we decided to share with you several security rules for public Wi-Fi usage for users.
Why are public Wi-Fi networks not recommended?
With the appearance of public free Wi-Fi networks, cybercriminals started using false free Wi-Fi networks for their advantages. The price that you might pay by using these free Wi-Fi networks is getting your credentials and private data stolen by these cybercriminals.
What can be done to prevent online threats?
As it is hard to locate these false free Wi-Fi networks, the best recommendation is to stop the use of public Wi-Fi and connect to the web from home or from your mobile devices. Although it is the best option there are a few other ways that would ensure protection to online users. One of them is establishing VPN for MacOS.
Tips on how to protect your OSX device from online threats
- Never rely on public Wi-Fi networks that do not need a password. It is observed that most of the cybercriminals create such networks to steal the personal data of users.
- Networks with passwords aren’t completely reliable as well. A cybercriminal can easily figure out your password, which you use in a shopping mall or cafe, and create a false Wi-Fi zone with the similar name.
- Remember to switch off the public Wi-Fi when you stop using its services. This method will safeguard your data and aid you in saving the battery on the device. If your device is set to “automatically connect to an unidentified Wi-Fi network” then turn it off. This will also secure you from tracing measures used by different organizations.
- When you use a public Wi-Fi network with your MacBook, you must not open a bank account or any other important services. Instead, choose your own mobile connection or at least use a hotspot from your iPhone or any other mobile device, it is not perfect but the chances of your data falling in the wrong hands are much lower than in a Public Wi-Fi.
- Use only https protocol when you must share your sensitive information. There are many websites that support the https protocol as a way to encrypt all those elements that you send or receive from the internet.
- People who use Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera browsers should install a specialized browser plugin. This plugin provides them safe online access when accessing the internet at a public place. It will also provide a safe connection to eBay, Yahoo, Amazon and a few other sites. A user can even add other web resources manually.
- Consider the use of a virtual private network. It is indeed a very beneficial way to protect your valuable business data. A VPN service does it by encrypting everything that you send.
- Install a trusted internet security solution that will guard you when you’re connecting to an untrusted network. The use of this network services won’t let your passwords get leaked to malicious cybercriminals.
As more and more professionals travel and/or work from home, firms need a way to allow their employees to access the sensitive resources while maintaining a high-security level. VPN acts as one of the reliable and effective ways to ensure the best protection of your private data against all possible types of online threats.