Open Wi-Fi networks in public places do not give a complete guarantee of the safety of user data during surfing on the Internet or communication on a total chat. To avoid the possible problems associated with the leakage of personal data, it is necessary to increase safety when connecting the device to a public Wi-Fi network, for this there are four simple tricks.
How to use public Wi-Fi how safe
In any more or less large city, there are a large number of ways and places for connecting to public Wi-Fi networks: hotels, cafeterias, airports, restaurants and even urban transport allows you to be online without the need to use mobile Internet. But often such open networks cannot guarantee the user complete security. Regardless of which device is the connection to the network – from the laptop, smartphone or tablet – the Internet connection should provide the user with maximum protection of personal data. To increase the reliability of the safety of personal data when connecting to a public Wi-Fi, it is necessary to take several simple steps to set up your device.
Brandmauer’s inclusion
The firewall initially serves to protect the device from attackers and viruses, but many users turn it off for the correct operation of some applications. If the firemower settings did not change, then in Windows OS it is activated by default. You can verify the correct settings through the control panel in the corresponding section “Brandmower Windows”. In OS X, firewall settings are in “system settings” in the “Safety and Protection” section.
Discharging of distribution
If the user’s laptop is preliminarily configured for the automatic transfer of files (for example, the exchange of multimedia files via iTunes) or remote access from the home network is used to it, then before connecting to the public point of Wi-Fi, the distribution of distributions should be turned off.
To turn off the distribution to Windows OS, you must go to the management section of total access and networks through the control panel. Then check the corresponding item in the menu for changes in personal additional access parameters, which is located in the left panel. In OS X, this section is in the system settings in the general access menu.
Installation of extensions for browser
There are special extensions for browsers that can increase the level of security when going to the Internet. The simplest and most effective example of such an expansion is the HTTPS EVERWHERE plugin. Expansion is installed on Chrome or Firefox browsers and is available for all desktop OS. HTTPS EVERYWHERE provides the most safe connection when surfing on most popular sites.
How to use public Wi-Fi how safe
In addition to web resources supported by the extension, the user can independently add a personal list of the most visited sites by creating a list in XML format. Only those sites whose visit can harm other users should be added to the list.
Using VPN to connect to a public point
Not all web resources of search engines provide users with encrypted protection for a specialized SSL protocol. Because of this, all the data that pass through public Wi-Fi access points can be available to third parties. You can ensure security at this level using a special VPN server through which the information will be encrypted, and, therefore, will not be available to attackers. A good example of a VPN service is a Proxpn program, which can be installed on all types of desktop and mobile devices.