I’ve returned to the same coffee shop where I was a few months ago, where I noticed my email had been hijacked/hacked. This time, I’m using my phone, but the last time, when I noticed the hack, I was using my computer and doing email over an open-internet, free Wi-Fi network.
Do you think that could be the source of the problem or just a coincidence? I’m still afraid to do email from here.
It definitely could have been. Unfortunately, it’s hard to say for sure; it could have been something else.
As we can’t really diagnose the past, let’s look ahead instead.
It can be safe to send and receive email, or even other tasks, in a coffee shop or other location providing unsecured or “open” Wi-Fi. In fact, I do it all the time.
But to ensure your safety, you do have to follow some very important practices.
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Open Wi-Fi hotspot connections can be monitored by anyone within range. To use one securely:
- Make sure your operating system’s firewall is on. (It probably is.)
- Make sure your desktop email is configured to use encrypted connections.
- Make sure your online email provider and any other online/cloud services use https.
- Consider using a VPN if this is something you do often.
- Consider using your mobile connection.
- Remember physical security while you’re at it.
The open Wi-Fi problem
The problem with open Wi-Fi hotspots is that the connection between your computer and the wireless access point nearby is not encrypted. That means any data you don’t encrypt some other way is transmitted in the clear, and anyone within range can eavesdrop and see it. Encryption prevents that.
Important: know if it is encrypted or not. If you connect to a hotspot and the operating system on your machine requires a password for it to work — say with a password provided by the barista or hotel clerk — that’s not an “open” Wi-Fi hotspot, and you may be OK. When you’re required to provide a password before you can connect, then the Wi-Fi access point is using some form of encrypted connection.
On the other hand, if you can connect without a password, and your browser immediately takes you to a webpage that says “Enter a password” (as in a hotel) or “Check to accept our terms” (as in many other open hotspots) it is not encrypted and it is not secure. It is an open Wi-Fi hotspot.
Turn on the firewall
Fortunately, firewalls are “on” by default in most operating systems.
However, when you’re at home, you may use your router as your firewall, and keep any software firewall on your machine disabled. That works well, as the router stops network-based attacks before they ever reach your computer… while you’re at home.
But when you’re on an open Wi-Fi hotspot or connected directly to the internet via other means, that software firewall is critical.
Make sure your firewall is enabled before connecting to an open Wi-Fi hotspot. Various network-based threats could be present on an untrusted connection, and it’s the firewall’s job to protect you from that.
Secure your desktop email program
If you use a desktop email program, such as Microsoft Office’s Outlook, Thunderbird, or others, you must make certain it is configured to use SSL/secure connections for sending and downloading email.
When you configure each account in your email program, you need to:
- Configure your POP3 or IMAP server for accessing your email using SSL, TLS, or SSL/TLS security options, and usually a different port number.
- Configure your SMTP server for sending email using SSL, TLS, or SSL/TLS security options, and usually a different port number.
How you configure these settings depends on the email program you use. The specific settings depend on the email service.
Once configured with the proper settings, you can feel secure downloading and sending mail using an open Wi-Fi hotspot.
Secure your web-based email
If you use a web-based email service like Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, or others via your browser, you must make sure it uses an httpS connection. Fortunately, most all major email services now rely on https.
In years past, accessing email using a plain http connection might well have been the source of many open Wi-Fi-related hacks: usernames and passwords are visible to any hackers in range who cared to look. Https prevents that.
Secure all your other online accounts
Any and all web-based (aka “cloud”) services that require you to log in with a username and password should either be used only with https from start to finish or be avoided completely while you’re using an open Wi-Fi hotspot.
With more and more services provided online, this is getting to be a larger problem. Fortunately, most are aware of the issue and are using https properly.
Using the cloud is a great way to manage your digital life from wherever you may be, but security remains key. Using https is critical when you’re out and about.
Use a VPN
This one is for the road warriors — the folks who are always traveling and online the entire time, often hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop in search of an internet connection as they go.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that sets up a securely encrypted ‘tunnel’ to the internet and routes all of your internet traffic through it. Https or not, SSL/secure email configuration or not, all of your traffic is securely tunneled, and no one sharing that open Wi-Fi hotspot can see a thing.
This service typically involves a recurring fee.1 As I said, they’re great for road warriors, but probably overkill for the rest of us, as long as we follow the other security steps described above.
A VPN also has the side effect of protecting you not only from the hacker in the corner, but from the coffee shop IT guy or whoever is providing the internet connection.
Use different passwords
Finally, it’s important to keep your account passwords different from each other and, of course, secure.
That way, should one account be compromised by some stroke of misfortune, hackers won’t automatically gain access to your other accounts.
Remember, even when you use an open Wi-Fi hotspot properly, a hacker can still see the sites you’re visiting, even though they cannot see what you are sending to and from that site. That means they’ll know exactly what sites to target next.
Consider not using free Wi-Fi at all
As I said, it can be safe to use open Wi-Fi, but it’s also easy for it to become unsafe.
One common and solid alternative is to use your phone instead.
While it is technically possible, a mobile/cellular network connection is significantly less likely to be hacked. In fact, I use this solution heavily when I travel.
Most mobile carriers offer one or more of the following options:
- Use your mobile device. Many phones or other mobile devices, such as iPhones, iPads, Android-based phones, and others are quite capable email and web-surfing devices, and typically do so via the mobile network. (Some also use Wi-Fi, so be certain you’re using the mobile broadband connection for this option to avoid the very security issues we’re discussing.)
- Tether your phone. Tethering means you connect your phone to your computer — usually by a USB cable, but in some cases, via a Bluetooth connection — and the phone acts as a modem, providing a mobile broadband internet connection.
- Use a dedicated mobile modem. These are USB devices that attach to your computer and act as a modem to provide a mobile broadband internet connection, much like tethering your phone.
- Use a mobile hotspot. In lieu of tethering, many phones now have the ability to act as Wi-Fi hotspots themselves. There are also dedicated devices, such as the MiFi, that are simple dedicated hotspots. Either way, the device connects to the mobile broadband network and provides a Wi-Fi hotspot accessible to one or more devices within range. When used in this manner, these devices act as routers and must be configured securely, including a WPA2 password, so as not to be another open Wi-Fi hotspot susceptible to hacking.
I travel with a MiFi and have a phone capable of acting as a hotspot as a backup. I find this to be the most flexible option for the way I travel and use my computer.
Don’t forget physical security
Laptops are convenient because they’re portable. And because they’re portable, they’re also easily stolen.
Unfortunately, it only takes a few seconds for an unattended laptop to disappear. I never leave mine alone: even if I need to make a quick trip to the restroom, the laptop comes with me. There’s just no way of knowing that everyone around me is trustworthy.
In that same vein, I also prepare in case my laptop does get swiped. Specifically, that means:
- My hard drive is encrypted.
- My sensitive data is stored in folders encrypted using BoxCryptor. Those folders are not mounted unless I need something.
- LastPass, my password management software, is set to require a password re-prompt after a certain amount of inactivity.
- I have two-factor authentication enabled on as many accounts as support it, including LastPass.
- I have tracking/remote wiping software installed.
Computer theft and recovery is a larger topic that’s only tangential to using open Wi-Fi hotspots. Clearly, though, if you are a frequent user of assorted open hotspots in your community or when you travel, a little attention to theft prevention and recovery is worthwhile.
Security and convenience are always at odds
As you can see, it’s easy to get this stuff wrong, since doing it securely takes a little planning and forethought.
But it’s important. If you’re not doing things securely, that guy in the corner with his laptop open could be watching all your internet traffic on the Wi-Fi connection, including your account username and password as they fly by.
And when that happens, you can get hacked.
Fortunately, with a little knowledge and preparation, it’s relatively easy to be safe.
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Footnotes & References
1: In fact, I’d avoid free VPNs, as they run a higher risk of tracking or exposing your information in other ways.
Re: Use a VPN
I’ve been using a free service called Hotspot Shield. Two minor irritants. First, using any VPN will be noticeably slower than not using it but that’s the price you pay for security. Second, HSS puts a large advertising banner across the top of your screen. You can collapse the banner but it will reappear at each new site you visit.
http://hotspotshield.com/
you should use hotspot shield elite version (you can buy it from their site ) it won’t put advertise on your browser
Re: Using a VPN
On a recent trip I downloaded and used Security Kiss VPN. It was a free service, with some download limits (that I never maxed out on), but it worked very well. I did not feel too constrained with speed, etc. – http://www.securitykiss.com
LEO please try log me in (logmein.com) it’s Free, it’s fast and does SSL with 256k encription. It allows you to connect to your home/work computer from there you can access the internet securely or anything on your computer just like you were sitting in front of it.
I believe there is no real safety in using WiFi hotspots but as a comment if you have to go, get off as quickly as you can.Do not stay connected
Re Secure Your Desktop Email Program:
I found Thunderbird does not allow me to use these settings for my ISP (even though Outlook does). Others have found this too as a search of the WWW shows. It seems to be an issue with Thunderbird and it has persisted over several versions.
Re “If you use a web-based email service like Gmail, … via your browser, you must … make sure that it uses an httpS connection. How do I do that?
Oh, and for the record: I use Thunderbird with secure settings.
12-Apr-2011
One comment about securing your POP3 and SMTP servers with SSL, etc. Apparently some antivirus programs object to doing that because SSL protected e-mail cannot be scanned by the AV program. I found this out after turning on SSL in Windows Live Mail and subsequently received an “advice” message from Avast! saying in effect “turn SSL off”!
I see enough problems with anti-malware tools trying to scan email as it arrives that I often recommend turning that “feature” off.
If you’re not doing a ton of heavy downloading, there are some good free vpn services available that should be more than adequate for light surfing and e-mail.
Avoid “Free” VPN services. If it’s free, you’re the product (think Google). A reputable, pay VPN that doesn’t maintain logs is a small price to pay (There are many VPN reviews online to allow intelligent choice). Gmail and any reputable webmail service will use HTTPS by default, and Thunderbird (which I use) will set up encrypted communications automatically to any commonly used mail service (using presets). Also any financial institutions other than possibly something like “Mother McCreedy’s Bank and Storm Door Company” will definitely use encrypted communications. HTTPS is pretty much the standard anymore, to the extent that modern browsers only notify you when it’s NOT in use. As insurance, download the free “HTTPS Everywhere” browser extension which attempts to use HTTPS on every site you visit.
I understand that this article is about OPEN WiFi spots. I do however have a question that is relevant.
If a business replaced the “open” as in unencrypted with “WPA/WPA2 encrypted with publicly known password”, would we then be safer?
E.g. you have the router, with WPA encryption, and above it you have “the password for this is 123456789FREEWPA”. Does that prevents others who know the password from seeing what I am surfing at the moment or is “known password” as good as “no password”? I’m quite sure there are at least two persons I can convince to switch to the second option if it will improve things.
Yes. WPA/WPA2 encrypts each connection separately so that even those connected to the same hotspot cannot sniff each others traffic. (Unlike WEP.)
I have an article on that now as well: Does having a publicly visible Wi-Fi password add security compared to an open Wi-Fi hotspot?
I’m surprised and maybe learning something. I thought that all data sent from an open wifi hotspot was viewable and vulnerable unless a vpn is used. Is it true that when banking (since they keep https enabled) at an open wifi hotspot I am safe? Can I really do this without a vpn? More technically asked; when using https in an open wifi hotspot, is the wireless leg of the communication really encrypted and safe and, therefore, no other safety component is needed?
I am really interested in understanding this and/or getting a vpn recommendation.
An https connection to your bank is not sniffable – wired, or wireless.
Very informative. You mentioned using your phone as a hotspot by connecting to the mobile broadband signal. Can we connect our phone to the open wifi at the business, then have our phone create another wifi that we secure, and our laptop connects to the phone wifi? I’m doubting this is possible since everything I read is about using the mobile broadband, but it’s worth asking:-)
@Daniel
As far as I know, it’s not possible to use your phone hotspot function when you are connected via Wi-Fi. But it really wouldn’t serve much purpose doing that anyway, as you could simply use the Wi-Fi directly from your computer.
If you enter your e-mail username via a history list rather than typing it and have set the account to remember a password, would a hacker still be able to gain access to them?
Yep. Article on that: Will using history or remembered passwords bypass malware and keyloggers?
I carry a small Zuni router with me to use in hotels and other questionable WiFi hotspots. It’s cheap, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, and provides a single wired connection or a new WiFi hotspot. I connect my gadgets to the secure Zuni network, not the open WiFi network, so I’m insulated somewhat by the router’s NAT. It’s probably not foolproof, but it makes me feel better.
I use an iPod touch when traveling – WiFi only – It has no firewall as far as I know. Am I safe on httpS sites eg American Express? Any other advice specific to iPods?
Apropos my question above on iPods. I just looked at the AmEx app and it points out that to get to Amex you have to enter your password. Does this mean it can be seen by a hacker? If so, doesn’t this apply to all secure websites? You are not secure while you are getting there?
@Bill
A well designed web site will have a secure connection to protect the login information by encrypting it. I looked at the Amex page, and their login page is a secure encrypted page, as are most if not all banks. Just check for the https: in the address bar on your browser and the lock icon to confirm that it is, in fact, encrypted.
I was looking forward to usingWIFI with my Blackberry playbook rather than lugging my computer into wifi spots this winter while in the US.
Does this article mean that I would be taking risks to do so as I do not believe their is any . firewall or virus protection on it. Many thanks. Great article.
Does this mean that if I just work on a Word file without trying to send it anywhere, it’s not able to be hacked? That’s mostly what I use when I use a WiFi. Also, the one I use is at work. Is that likely to be an open WiFi? Sorry if I’m asking elementary questions, but I’m not terribly computer savvy.
Make sure your computer is properly protected with a firewall, and you should be fine. Better yet, turn off wireless, you shouldn’t need it to run Word. When you hover the mouse over the connection icon in the taskbar it should show you the connection type; “open” or “wep” is bad, “WPA” better, “WPA2” is great.
Leo – What tracking/remote wiping software do you use?
preyproject.com
tnx for your info.
You mentioned that if we use a saved password or history, we are unsafe yet. But what about the cookies? Most login forms have a “remember me” check box. If we logged in to them from a secure internet with this checkbox enabled, then we won’t need to login again when we’re on an open network. Is it dangerous too?
There’s no blanket answer to this one. Different services use cookies in different ways to provide this functionality, and thus the security implications differ widely. For example some will prompt you to re-login anyway, since at a different network you’d be on a different IP address. My general approach is not to use “remember me” on any portable computer that I plan to take to or use at open WiFi hotspots. A tool like LastPass handles automatically logging me in as needed in those cases, and even there I have LastPass set to log me out after a while. But then one master password to LastPass later and everything else just works.
I initially just need to know if i use my data plan and open my online banking website will harm my iPad. It turns out I learnt more from your article. Please correct me if I got it wrong.
1. All https website cannot be sniffed if you are logged into it using your data plan or wiFi connection.
2. VPN encrypt all information in and out of your device into nonreadable information even if you are hacked ( doesn’t hackers have their special software for this?)
3. WPA/ WPA2 secure information from fellow wiFi users that connected to the same connection. WEP doesn’t. (I have business premis that provide wiFi…very useful for me to change it to WPA/ WPA2)
Thank you so much!
1. Yes
2: Yes – except if your computer is hacked they may can get your typed keystrokes and other information before it is encrypted or after it is decrypted on your machine.
3. Yes – but WPA2 is much more secure than WPA which is not so hard to crack.
I letsomebody use my hotspot now I have FBI warning my phone and it is locked up
That FBI warning isn’t from the FBI. The FBI doesn’t operate that way. It’s more likely that you got hit with malware which locked your phone and put up that message.
Free Wi-Fi spots are very dangerous. 60% of all free Wi-Fi spots are exposed to hacking.
I always connect to {URL removed} VPN on my desktop or moble device. I don’t want to give someone an access to my personal photos, videos, conversations, credit card data if my shop online, passwords, accounts.
I have a rule not to process any money transactions using free Wi-Fi.
Hi Leo, I read here http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/public-wireless.aspx that “Never update your software on a public Internet connection.” Why we can’t update our software on public internet connection? Thank you.
There’s a possibility that a hacker using something like a man in the middle attack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-in-the-middle_attack) to install malware and hijack your machine.
My car has wifi and a simple password. I don’t think I can change any settings – other than maybe the password. Is this safe to use with an iphone? Are the apps intrinsically safe eg for banks and credit cards and things like Vanguard.
Exact same question for open wifi spots where I use wifi because I have a skimpy broadband plan?
With respect to your car the fact that it has a password at all is a good thing. That probably means that it’s using WPA or WPA2 encryption. That the password is simple only means is theoretically possible for someone else to guess it and begin using the Internet through your car’s WiFi. That can be corrected by changing the password to a stronger one.
Unfortunately it’s unclear what technology apps on mobile devices actually use. One would hope that they you use encrypted connections. And to be honest I believe that they do. But if you’re at all uncertain then I would avoid using those apps on open Wi-Fi connections.
Thanks for the reply, Leo. It did occur to me that because the car is normally moving, it would be a difficult target for a hacker. After reading your reply I wondered if there is a way to tell what encryption you have on an iphone. (You have an article on this for Windows). I found an app eWiFi on an OLD ipod that detects all local wifis and lists the encryption type. I don’t think it’s available for newer ipods or iphones – Note it is not the same App as “ewifi – Etisalat eWiFi”. Anyway I can’t find a new version but the old one works fine. It detects all wifi in range and lists the encryption type. My car is indeed encrypted: WPA2
Sir!! I am 100% sure, some one in my house in monitoring my internet access, my emailing, my search. I want to end this up. He did not install any thing on my laptop, I checked the firewall as it is recommended by many sites to check my fire wall for window but it’s just OK. please help me for stop being monitoring. Sir, please advice me some thing that is useful. Thanks!
If you are sharing an internet connection in a household security can be difficult because sharing is sharing. The only way to get real privacy in a situation like that is by encryption. This article will help you with that: http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_encrypt_a_hard_drive_using_truecrypt.html
I can’t tell from here, but if you’re positive you’re being monitored, and it’s NOT on your computer your only real alternative is to use a different internet connection, or start using a VPN.
Leo I am usind a cat5e and my speed is less than wifi why is that?
It’s not the cable that determines the speed – it’s the configuration of the ethernet ports at either end. 10mbps, for example, is a common ethernet speed that is slower than modern WiFi.
A couple of other good things to do when using public Wi-Fi:
1. If there is more than one connection option – BobsBurgers_NY and BobsBurgers_NewYork, say – ask a member of staff to confirm which network to use prior to connecting.
2. Avoid completing financial transactions. HTTPS is very secure, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Does using Keyscrambler help in anyway?
No. Products like this – which are actually quite pointless, IMO – work by encrypting inputs at the Windows kernel’s keyboard input stack and then decrypting them as they reach the intended app. In other words, other locally installed apps are prevented from reading the inputs (or that’s the theory, at least). Such apps do not, however, encrypt web traffic and, consequently, passwords are sent in unencrypted form, -which is obviously necessary in order for the website to be able to authenticate you (unless the website uses HTTPS, of course, in which case encryption is used anyway).
On encrypting the disk, this is a two-edged sword. As you say, Leo, it is the best, and in fact, the only protection that really works if your computer gets stolen. But on the other hand, with an encrypted disk, if your system gets messed up for one or another reason, it usually gives rise to a hopeless mess from which it is hard or impossible to recover.
So unless you do very sensitive things, isn’t it probably a better idea to only encrypt those few things you really don’t want the thief to be able to see, and still be able to intervene on the machine when something goes totally wrong, rather than being locked out of your own computer and not be able to boot from an external device and repair what went wrong ?
Yeah, encryption is a very easy way to permanently and irrevocably lose access to data and too many people make excessive/unnecessary use of it. “Can you help me decrypt my data?” is a question that data recovery companies get asked every day – and, of course, the answer is always no, they cannot.
I think that, for the average home user, the risks associated with encryption are greater than the risks associated with non-encryption: in other words, there’s a greater chance of them losing access to their encrypted data than of their unencrypted data being improperly accessed. And this is especially true when it comes to data stored on non-mobile devices. I actually know a couple of people who lost access to encrypted data – and the crazy thing is that neither of them had stuff and their devices that was really worthy of being encrypted.
People often say, “You can never have too much security.” It’s wrong. You can.
Actually I disagree. There are so many things – sensitive things even – that might be stored in areas we wouldn’t choose to encrypt (cache, temp files, etc.) that encrypting the entire disk is the ONLY safe solution. Couple that with appropriate (and appropriately secure) backups, and even a messed up system can be just an annoyance rather than a disaster.
Encryption programs can be both confusing and intimidating to some people: Lions and PIMs and AES, oh my! I suspect there are a considerable number of people for who encryption would be a recipe for disaster – a category into which my in-laws certainly fall (“Hi Ray, I’ve forgotten my email password again. Yes, I know you’ve told me a hundred times before how to reset it, but I can’t remember what I need to do. Can you help me fix it? Oh, and my Facebook isn’t working either. Can you help me fix that too?”). I really don’t think encryption would be in their best interests.
If you’re packing a laptop or hard drives that contains genuinely sensitive information, then encryption is a must. But I don’t think it’s something that should recommended to all and sundry.
After logging off your e-mail, log back on.
See something strange – your e-mail address automatically displayed!
ALWAYS, after logging off, log on with garbage so you true address is no loner the default.
lap tops are down in price. $200 so get one, or cheaper, and when at coffee or other freebie use your lap top to hearts content
but do so off line, then when you go home either hook laptop to broadcast or use table top already always on net, and then
take all offline and one at a time shove onto online and send, but check and try first see if works as hack.block by your server
Most BIOS allow you to create and use a password to start your computer. Would such prevent a thief from accessing it if the computer is stolen?
BIOS passwords can be easily bypassed, so are pretty thin security. That said, in order to reset some BIOS passwords, it’s necessary to open the machine up and this could slow somebody down – which could give you enough time to change your banking passwords, etc., etc.
No. All they need do is remove the hard disk and place that hard disk in a different computer (or even just an external USB enclosure).
Yeah, and it’s also worth nothing that, while BIOS passwords don’t provide much in the way of security, it can nonetheless be quite tricky to get your system back to a useable state if you forget the password – especially if it’s a newer laptop.
I have been using “HotSpot VPN” app for my Android smartphone. It is free, requires no personal info. It has encryption and it has no restrictions with respect to usage and bandwidth (as far as I know. It is very easy to use. It requires a one click to use it once the app is opened and you don’t need to know anything about VPNs to use it. Check it out on http://vpn-hotspot.com/.
I am still looking for something for my notebook.
As always, research the provider. I know absolutely nothing about this provider. When it comes to VPNs “fast” and “free” are at odds with each other, so I am skeptical.
What if you are using an Android tablet (Nexus 7 w/Marshmallow) that only connects via WiFi? Do all the things you wrote about apply?
A tablet is a computer, so all of it applies.
Hi Leo
Is there a hard firewall dongle that can be used in hot spots?
This would surely be the ultimate protection in open hot spots!
I don’t know if those exist or not, but a VPN will accomplish that and more. For occasional users, some providers such as HotSpot Shield have free versions.
if my email program uses ssl, can a man in the middle attack still be effective?
how can i tell if my android email app uses ssl?
There are no absolutes, so I have to say “yes”, but difficult and unlikely.
Depends on the app, and how it is configured for yoru specific email account. Typically it should reference SSL or TLS in the POP3, IMAP and/or SMTP settings section.
Hi Leo, I have recently switched from IE to Chrome (Yeah, I know I am slow to change). When I log in to a portal, Chrome is always asking if I want it to “remember” my login information. If I say YES, the next time I visit that portal, the login user name and password boxes are already populated with my information, so I just click SUBMIT. Makes it easy. I was thinking, if I were using an open WiFi (coffee shop or library), and use this Chrome feature to log in, then there are no actual keystrokes for someone to see…or are there. Are the keystrokes still detectable by a local hacker?
Yes.
Help! Askleo,
WPA2 vunerability, router wifi insecure. What do we do? I’m using VPNnord is this effective inside my residential gateway?
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/16/16481136/wpa2-wi-fi-krack-vulnerability
Article under construction. Look for it soon. In the mean time: treat your wifi as is if were an open Wi-Fi hotspot.
If you use a VPN service in a public WiFi setting, are you not exposing the UserID and Password you must enter to gain access to your VPN account?
Love the article! Any opinion on free VPN providers? Thought I’d give Atlasvpn a shot, even though the aren’t a lot of articles about it, speed and performance look good.
A free VPN can be worse than no VPN in some cases. As Leo warned:
From the article:
What VPN Should I Use?
Last month I got an email from Yahoo telling me I needed to change my email login information to use an SSL connection if I wanted to continue using my third party email program. This is a great idea making it impossible for people to sniff out your Yahoo password. I didn’t have to change anything as I was already using a SS/TLS encrypted login in Thunderbird and on my phone. As the article states, it would be prudent to check your login method if you are using an email program to see if it is using proper encryption to log in access your email via an email program or app. All reputable email providers offer that. An email provider which doesn’t allow an encrypted login is, by definition, disreputable.
This article and the comments focus on technology to provide a sense of security over public WiFi. That’s fine, given that most people have one device (namely the phone) and have all their lives on that device. But there is another aspect to public WiFi safety, which is personal discipline and behavior. Consider the following: Do you really, really need to log into your bank or look at your medical records while sitting in a Starbucks? Do you really need to have all your sensitive information on your cell phone? Heck, you can just lose the phone in its entirely and not have to worry about a WiFi hack. Do you really need to carry your life data on a tablet on travel around the world (assuming one day you can do that)? So, one way to security using a public WiFi is not to have to care or worry about being hacked because there is not much there to be stolen. Yes, maybe they can steal the login information for your phone, but that’s not a disaster. A hardware solution to this approach to security is to have a separate, pristine device (if you can afford it) to use on public WiFi, especially for travel.
The next question is going to be if I don’t do much on my device in public, what’s the use? Sorry, but if you’re addicted to your device, I can’t help you. Another department handles that. On the other hand, if you’re addicted to social media you’ve already exposed all of your life data to the world (possibly without knowing it), so what’s the worry if the shopkeeper finds out you’re cheating on your boyfriend? What you can do on a public WiFi is mostly surf the web, without logging into accounts, and that’s not nothing.
Do I need to have a phone with me and do my banking online while at the coffee shop? Of course not.
Is it an incredible convenience and time-saver for me to do so? Absolutely.
Use, or not, what works for you and your lifestyle. Just do so safely.
I have a little question. We have a Wi-Fi at work, using wpa2 encryption. My work pc contains no sensitive files as we store all files in our cloud server but that also requires several browser tabs, and cloud connection apps, that requires login at least once a day. Assuming a staff wants to access an information that the server did not grant him/her access to (sensitive files that are only people that have a certain high security access level can see), can that hacker (I mean the staff) access my pc via the network since we are both connected to the same work Wi-Fi.
Best I can say is maybe. It really depends on a lot of the specifics of your configuration and personal security.