Public Wi-Fi: the risks and how to protect your data
Free Wi-Fi in a café, airport or hotel is handy, but it is someone else's network: you don't know who set it up or who else is connected. Here is what can really go wrong and how to stay safe without hassle.
What others can see on a shared network
Most websites and apps encrypt the connection today (HTTPS), so strangers usually cannot see page contents or passwords. But the network owner and other users may see which websites and services you reach — and the whole unencrypted traffic of older sites and apps.
On an open network without a password the traffic between your device and the router is not protected at the Wi-Fi level at all — the weakest option.
Fake hotspots
An attacker can create a network with a familiar name — say “Airport_Free_WiFi” or the name of the café next door. Your device joins it and all your traffic flows through someone else's computer. Such a network can fake sign-in pages and collect what you type.
Ask the staff for the exact network name and avoid look-alike networks with similar names.
Simple safety rules
- Turn off automatic joining of open networks on your phone and laptop.
- Check that the address starts with https:// and the browser shows no certificate warnings.
- Use mobile data rather than shared Wi-Fi for banking and payments.
- Keep the system and apps updated — updates close known vulnerabilities.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for e-mail, social networks and your bank.
- Remove networks you no longer use from the saved list.
How a VPN helps
A VPN encrypts all traffic of the device up to the VPN server. The owner of the public network and other users see only one encrypted connection — not the sites, not the apps and not their contents. This protects you both from curious neighbours on the network and from fake hotspots.
Yak VPN encrypts the connection with TLS 1.3 and connects in one tap. Turn the VPN on before joining Wi-Fi in a café, train or hotel — and use the network with peace of mind.