When traveling, it is very important to maintain contact with the outside world. Fortunately, it is not difficult to find free Wi-Fi in hotels, cafes or airports; but be careful to ensure that personal information is safe on public networks. Accordi...
When traveling, it is very important to maintain contact with the outside world. Fortunately, it is not difficult to find free Wi-Fi in hotels, cafes or airports; but be careful to ensure that personal information is safe on public networks. According to a 2023 survey by Forbes Advisor, 43% of Americans who frequently use public Wi-Fi said their internet security is threatened when using public Wi-Fi; cafes, restaurants and hotels are the places where people use public Wi-Fi the most frequently.
Before connecting to any website, the first thing you need to do is to make sure that the correct URL is connected. Eric Plam, executive director of mobile hotspot company SIMO, said it would be better to have a connection password, which would be more reassuring because it is safer and not a rogue access point installed without permission.
Plum said that using virtual private network (VPN) as much as possible is not a big investment, it can add an additional security to your computer and any server you are connecting to; a VPN is like a "security channel", encrypting the data you are browsing.
When using public networks, avoid connecting sensitive information such as bank accounts, and even do not log in to email. Plum pointed out that at any time, be cautious about the network you are on when entering a certain password. For security, it is best to use password management tools that protect and encrypt passwords. Long and complex passwords are also more secure; according to software company Specops, 85% of the exposed passwords are less than 12 letters and symbols.
Plum said that if you think it is too complicated, use your own movement hot spots. The price of mobile hot spots is between 30 and 200 yuan, depending on functions such as speed or transmission. He said that once you feel inconsistent, you must interrupt the connection and then change your password immediately, especially when you feel that there is a guest intrusion; in addition, you should also check any abnormal transaction fees on your credit card.
Plum said that as long as the official network is used and all the security measures he mentioned are followed, airport Wi-Fi is still safe; some airports cooperate with wireless communications company Boingo, which usually have built-in security protection and can be used with confidence.
When traveling, you must charge your mobile phone or computer in public places such as the airport check-in port. There is a kind of online attack behavior called "juice jacking", which means that the enemy will use a public USB charging station to retrieve data from the mobile device or install malicious software on it. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) claims that although this incident may occur, it has not been verified yet.
However, it is still important to increase the alert for possible risks, and Plum recommends using your own mobile power supply or a regular AC adapter (AC adapter) when charging, rather than a USB port.
Responsible editor: Gu Zihuan
