Top tips: How to use public Wi-Fi without handing your data to a stranger
Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what's trending in the tech world and list practical ways to explore these trends. This week, we are tackling something almost everyone does without thinking twice: connecting to public Wi-Fi (and what it could be costing you without you ever knowing).
You are at an airport, a coffee shop, or a hotel lobby. You notice your data plan is running low and scroll through the available networks. And there it is: Free Wi-Fi—no password required. You connect in seconds and get back to work: emails that need sending, a quick login to your company portal, maybe a bank transfer. Easy.
What you probably did not notice is that someone three tables away, on the same network, was watching.
Public Wi-Fi is one of the most common and most underestimated entry points for cybercriminals. The convenience is real, but so is the risk. Here are five practical ways to protect yourself every time you connect.
1. Always verify the network name before connecting
Not every "Airport Free Wi-Fi" network belongs to the airport. One of the most common attacks on public networks is called the evil twin—a fake hotspot set up by an attacker with a name almost identical to the legitimate one. Once you connect, everything you send passes through their device first.
Before connecting, ask a staff member for the exact network name. If two similar networks appear in your list, that is a red flag. When in doubt, use your mobile data instead.
2. Use a VPN every single time
A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your internet traffic so that even if someone intercepts it on a public network, they cannot read it. Think of it as a private tunnel through a public road.
Many organizations provide a VPN for their employees. If yours does, use It whenever you are working outside the office. If you are connecting for personal use, a reputable paid VPN is one of the most straightforward investments you can make in your digital security. Free VPNs, however, come with their own risks as some have been known to collect and sell the very data they claim to protect.
3. Make sure the websites you visit use HTTPS
Look at the address bar the next time you open a website on public Wi-Fi. If the URL begins with HTTPS and shows a padlock icon, the connection between your browser and that website is encrypted. If it shows HTTP without the S, anything you type—such as passwords, form data, and personal details—travels in plaintext that anyone on the same network can potentially read.
Most modern browsers will warn you when a site is not secure. Take those warnings seriously, especially on public networks.
4. Turn off automatic Wi-Fi connection on your devices
Your phone or laptop remembers networks it has connected to before and will reconnect automatically when it detects the same name. This is convenient at home but presents a significant risk in public spaces, where an attacker can broadcast a network name your device already trusts.
Go into your device settings and disable the option to connect automatically to known networks when you are away from home or the office. It may take an extra five seconds to connect manually, but it could save you considerably more.
5. Avoid accessing sensitive accounts on public networks
Even with precautions in place, public Wi-Fi is not the right environment for your most sensitive activities, whether conducting online banking, accessing your company's internal systems, or making a private connection.
If it cannot wait, use your mobile data. The few extra megabytes are worth it. And wherever possible, enable multi-factor authentication on your important accounts so that even if your credentials are intercepted, they cannot be used without the second verification step that only you have access to.
Connect to the network, not the risks
Public Wi-Fi is not going away, and neither is the need to use it. But convenience and security do not have to be opposites. Verify before you connect, use a VPN, check for HTTPS, disable auto-connect, and think twice before logging into anything sensitive. Five habits, each taking seconds, can make a sizable difference in limiting what a stranger on the same network can see.
The Wi-Fi is free. Your data does not have to be.