Stay Safe While Using Public Wi-Fi

India has been witnessing the explosion of free Wi-Fi networks from past few months. But most of these networks are not secured. Without enough layers of security, users are likely to become victims of cyber crime. But people are ignorant when it comes to protecting themselves from online attacks.   How will you know if the network is safe? Open networks at coffee shops or airports are generally not encrypted. They do not need any password and user can start browsing directly after connecting. These are the ones that are vulnerable. Unencrypted networks are easy to hack into. But that doesn’t mean you should stop using these hotspots altogether. Few precautions are enough to keep you safe from hackers. Here are the few things to keep in mind when you are using a public Wi-Fi.   Virtual Private Network connection – VPN Using VPN makes sure that your information is completely safe. It is encrypted and hackers cannot hack into it. It may slow down your connection sometimes. But, that is for your privacy. But the problem is using VPN connections is hard for common users. There are other things you can do to add a layer of security   Turn off sharing This is the simple step to make sure you are not sharing anything unwanted. You can find this options in control panel settings. It will keep your data private even if you are using a public network.   Use HTTPS Always check that the pages you are visiting are https encrypted. You can check the URL address of the page to confirm it. If its not encrypted, log out of the system. If you do not want to check this every time you browse, then you can enable this option from settings.   Stop connecting to Wi-Fi automatically Turn off the settings, which allow you to connect to open Wi-Fi without asking for permission. It will give you time to choose your network.   Keep updating Make sure that you are updating operating system regularly. These updates add security layers when installed. This cyber security will keep you protected from much vulnerability. But never update software while using an open network. Do it using a trusted connection.   After all the precautions, you can still be a victim of cyber crime. So, make sure that you are not using these hotspots for online banking or even online shopping. Think before typing any passwords, credit/debit card numbers, username etc. Use mobile data or trusted connections. Always log out of the system. And always select the option ‘forget network’. You cannot avoid using open networks today from time to time. All you need to do is be careful while using them.