Free WiFi in cafes, airports, and hotels is convenient, but shared, unsecured networks carry real risks — from other users on the same network intercepting your traffic, to entirely fake "evil twin" hotspots set up specifically to capture your data.
Evil twin networks: a fake hotspot named to look identical to a legitimate one (e.g. "Costa_WiFi" vs "Costa_Free_WiFi"), set up specifically to intercept traffic from anyone who connects.
Unencrypted traffic interception: on networks without proper security, other users can potentially see unencrypted data passing across the same network.
Session hijacking: intercepting login session data to access accounts without needing your password directly.
Casual browsing of HTTPS websites (look for the padlock icon) carries relatively low risk on public WiFi.
Online banking, entering payment details, or accessing sensitive work accounts on public WiFi carries meaningfully higher risk and is worth avoiding, or doing only through a VPN or your mobile data connection instead.
Verify the exact network name with staff before connecting, rather than assuming the most obvious-looking option is genuine.
Use a reputable VPN for any sensitive activity on public networks.
Turn off automatic WiFi connection on your devices, so you're never joining a network without actively choosing to.
Enable two-factor authentication on important accounts, so a captured password alone isn't enough to grant access.
If you suspect you've connected to a malicious network, change your passwords from a trusted connection as soon as possible and monitor your accounts for unusual activity.
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