Public WiFi hotspots
A hotspot is a physical location where people may get internet access.
When you use public WiFi you could be at risk of someone seeing what you are doing online and capturing your personal information and passwords. This can happen if the connection between your device and the WiFi is not encrypted.
There can also be fake hotspots which fool you into thinking that it is the legitimate one.
Using public WiFi safely
Follow these steps to stay safe when you’re using public WiFi:
- unless you are using a secure web page, don’t send or receive private information when using public WiFi
- wherever possible, use well-known, commercial hotspot providers
- businesspeople wishing to access their corporate network should use a secure, encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN)
For more information and guidance on keeping your WiFi secure, visit the
Get Safe Online website.
Watch this two minute video about how to stay say on public WiFi:
This video shows exactly how criminals can access your personal details and passwords when you log on to an unsecure public WiFi network: