Page 13 - October_Newsletter_2016

Tips to Use with Public Wi-Fi

Watch what sites you visit. Hold off on visiting any sites that re-
quire you to log in with a username and password, like your bank
or other financial institutions, social networking sites or webmail.
Why offer unscrupulous types information that could haunt you lat-
er? Play it safe. Save visiting such sites until you’re on a secure,
private network.

Be aware of your surroundings. As you have your laptop open in
a coffee shop, hotel lobby or airport, someone may be secretly ob-
serving. Take a few moments to make sure no “shoulder surfers”
are watching what you type. To help combat this, you might want to
consider purchasing a privacy screen to take along with you, or at
least sit with your laptop screen turned away from everyone else.

Use a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs create a network-
within-a-network solution to keep everything you do on public Wi-Fi
private. Even on a password-protected network, people can still
intercept the signal. VPNs can help make you invisible, allowing
you to check sites without worry.

It can be both fun and relaxing to sit back and surf the Web while
you enjoy a latte at a coffee shop. And sometimes it’s important to
check in on your bank account, webmail, or social sites while trav-
eling. But keep in mind that connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots can
pose a risk. Imagine what could happen if the wrong people had
your bank login information. Be mindful of your surfing habits and
use these tips to help stay safe and secure online while using.

If you are not using your own computer or Tablet also be aware
that key loggers could also be in use on a coffee shop or hotel
computer.