Tip of the week: How to safely use wireless hot spots
Guidelines for safeguarding wireless connections
Stay legit. Hackers are known to “create phony hot spots.” A name should pop up with the network to connect to. If not, be cautious.
Starbucks and other establishments offer public Wi-Fi that’s “relatively safe.”
Stay current. Be sure to continually update your computer’s operating system, applications such as Microsoft Word, and virus protection. You don’t have to be a techie; “it’s actually simple to do (requiring just a few mouse clicks in the right places) and usually free.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Don’t surf too far from home. Even if a public network is legitimate, nothing is “as safe as a password-protected system” in your own home. Setting up a password is easy, and switching on the encryption function isn’t hard either.
Don’t be stupid. Don’t make purchases, check your bank account, or send e-mails that contain private information from public hot spots.
Source: Real Simple
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'I will not be silent' on Gaza, says Kamala Harris
Speed Read In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris supported Israel's right to defend itself while expressing a desire to end Palestinian suffering
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'How long can TikTok dominate as a social network?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Video game performers to strike over AI concerns
Speed Read SAG-AFTRA members are unhappy with gaming production companies
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published