Public WiFi Safety: 7 Rules to Follow Before You Connect at a Cafe or Station
Free WiFi at a cafe, airport, or railway station feels like a gift — until you think about who else might be on the same network. Public WiFi is shared with strangers, and on an open network your activity is easier for others to watch. You do not need to avoid public WiFi completely, but you should follow a few simple rules before you connect. 1. Check the Network Name with Staff Attackers sometimes set up a fake hotspot with a name that looks like the cafe's real WiFi — for example, ‘Cafe_Free_WiFi’ instead of ‘Cafe WiFi’. Always confirm the exact network name with the staff, and be suspicious of any network that asks you to install an app or enter a password you were not given . 2. Avoid Banking and Shopping on Open WiFi Do not log in to your bank app, enter card details, or make payments while on a public network you do not trust. For anything involving money, wait until you are on mobile data or your home WiFi. This one habit removes the biggest risk. 3. Use Mobile Data for Sen...