The Problem

Many businesses advertise offer free, public WiFi for you to use while enjoying their services. Companies, Universities, and other organisations offer WiFi. Chances are you have a long, long list of saved hotspots in your phone, tablet, or laptop.

You have many different devices with you, probably, even now. You have your mobile phone, but you also might have your tablet and laptop. Most people put little thought into vetting the identity of the WiFi they're connecting to. If it is free, and offers a connection to the internet most connect without a thought.

Smart phones constantly reaching out to the internet and they're broadcasting: where they are, what they're doing, who their owner is, and this often includes personal information. You might use a hotspots to access your online banking, your social media presence, or any other of a long list of accounts that we all keep.

How do you know if your data is safe? By the very nature of wireless, you broadcast every action you take indiscriminately. We already know not even HTTPS is completely safe.

So what can steps can you take to secure your data?

The Solution

Fortunately, there are many ways out there already available to you to protect your information. Here are a few solutions for you to consider.

• Use encryption whenever you can. Many website offer https versions. This includes facebook.
• Avoid doing anything on public hotspots that you wouldn't wish for anyone to read, see, or access.
• Get a VPN; I recommend PrivateInternetAccess.
• Don't use your ISP's DNS servers. Set your own. For starters, try Google or OpenDNS!