Tip of the Day: Safe Surfing, A Few Wi-Fi Rules

Everybody likes free stuff. Cheese samples from the grocery, fancy soap from hotels, and, maybe best of all, free Wi-Fi to save you from eating up your precious data. But free could come at a price.

Before you jump on any old public network, let’s consider what you do most often online: peruse social media, monitor credit card statements, check bank balances and email employees or clients. Most of these activities put your online session at risk for a multitude of data security issues, including identity theft and a wicked viruses. Reduce your exposure with these simple steps:

Turn off automatic Wi-Fi connections. Connecting to any network is like walking into a stranger’s house. Review and select confirmed networks you can trust.

Check with the barista, librarian or wait staff to make sure you’re connecting to their specific network—hackers often set up fake networks that look similar to lure users.

Use a virtual private network (VPN) when handling business communications to shield yourself from unwanted onlookers.

Free Wi-Fi is not always gift from the tech-gods. Like your mom told you, if it’s too good to be true … (you know the rest).