Is Using Public WiFi Safe? We Asked A Security Expert
August 28, 2021 by Lisa Cupido
There are so many times when you’re out and about and it becomes crucial to connect to Wifi. Maybe you can’t work at home that day and require a secure connection so that you can turn the local coffee shop into your personal WFH space. Or maybe you’re out in an unfamiliar area and need directions to the nearest restaurant or back home. Whatever the reason, there will be a time when you think about connecting to public wifi and may hold yourself back because you wonder whether it’s entirely secure. Is using public wifi safe? We asked a security expert.
Public Wifi Is Safe — But There’s A CaveatThe short answer to this question is: yes, you can use public wifi without worrying that you will immediately be hacked by the stranger sitting at the table beside you. But that doesn’t mean you should go about doing every single thing you’d normally do on your home wifi connection. Taking caution while in public is very important. “With public Wi-Fi being used by people all the time, the chances of a security breach are higher than ever,” says Arvind Patil, country manager at Selectra India. “The feature that allows your mobiles to connect automatically to a public wi-fi is extremely risky as most of you are not even aware of the connection.”