For years now, internet access has not just been restricted to the times when you are at home or at the office. We are so used to there being available Wi-Fi in places like airports, pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, that it almost seems like you are never too far away from being able to browse the web at your leisure on a laptop or tablet (that is if you don’t simply want to use mobile internet to access it anywhere from the cell phone network).
Of course, the more used to having something available we become, the more blasé we tend to get about using it. You probably think nothing of updating your blog while you enjoy a coffee at your favourite coffee house, or catching up on your friends’ Facebook activity when you are at the airport. For many people, according to research done by Blog For Web, the fact that Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t very secure never enters their minds.
What Are The Dangers Associated With Public Wi-Fi Hotspots?
Wi-Fi that is available to the general public, or to customers of a given establishment, is not very well protected. This is not because the owners of the networks don’t care about your online security, but because in order for these services to be easily available to lots of people, they simply have to work that way. What this means in real terms is that the things you do when you send and receive information on the web (including passwords), may be ‘snooped’ on by other people in the vicinity. You are at much greater risk of having passwords and other personal data stolen when you use Wi-Fi in a place like a hotel, airport or bar than when you use your secure network at home.
Using a VPN to Keep Data Safe
A lot of people already use VPNs, even at home, to access material that is not available in their area or to browse anonymously (without their IP address being logged). While there are some myths about what VPNs do and do not do in terms of anonymity, what they will always do is give you some added security when you are browsing on a public network. There are different types of encryption VPNs can offer, but all of them provide much greater protection against snooping when you are using unsecured networks on the go.
If you want to start using a VPN for safer browsing when you are out and about (or traveling abroad). The first thing to do is check out reviews to find the top 10 VPN service providers, and then compare them to choose the one that best meets your needs and budget. Once you have subscribed to a VPN service, all you need to do is log into it as soon as you have accessed a public wireless network, and you will be able to browse freely, knowing that nobody will have an easy way to steal your data.