HOTSPOTS
Anyone can name a network
The NI Cyber Security Centre warns that criminals set up rogue access points to lure people in. Where possible, pick a well-known hotspot provider.
Check a networkWHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Borrowed Wi-Fi,
safely.
Free Wi-Fi is everywhere. So are copies of it.
Check a network
SHAREwith care
- Know whose network it is
- Look for the padlock
- Keep banking for trusted links
- Small checks, fewer surprises
Cafés, hotels, trains and friends' homes all offer a connection. UK cyber security guidance comes back to a few habits: know whose network it is, look for the padlock, and keep private things for connections you trust.
Updated
THE SHORT ANSWER
Know the network,
then decide what to send.
Public and shared Wi-Fi are not all alike.
Guidance focuses on who runs it and how it is protected.
PRIVACY
A login page is not a lock
Get Safe Online says a hotspot that only asks you to log in has almost certainly no encryption. Keep private details for secure web pages.
Habits to try
AT HOME
Give guests their own lane
Most home routers offer a guest network. Guidance suggests using it for visitors and smart gadgets, away from your own computers.
Sharing your Wi-FiA QUICK NETWORK CHECK
Whose Wi-Fi
are you on?
Pick the kind of connection in front of you. The bar shows how much caution the guidance suggests before you send anything private over it.
Based on NI Cyber Security Centre and Get Safe Online guidance. General information only, not a security audit of any network.
TWO DATES WORTH KNOWING
Wi-Fi security
keeps moving.
One date for a newer standard,
one for a flaw that showed why updates matter.
2018
Year WPA3 security was introduced
The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced WPA3 in June 2018, after more than a decade of WPA2. WPA3-Personal adds stronger protection against people trying to guess the Wi-Fi password.
WPA3 · WI-FI ALLIANCE
2017
Year the WPA2 'Krack' flaw was published
The NCSC said an attacker would need to be physically close, and that HTTPS and VPN connections were not compromised. Its advice: apply security updates to phones, laptops and routers.
KRACK · NCSC
The NCSC also noted that a private Wi-Fi network protected by WPA2 is more secure than a public Wi-Fi service such as one found in a coffee shop or hotel.
FOUR HABITS TO TRY
Stay connected,
stay private.
None of these needs special software. They are about choosing the right connection and noticing what the screen is telling you.
Pick a hotspot you can place
Anyone can set up and name a hotspot. Guidance suggests well-known hotspot providers rather than an unfamiliar free network.
Look for the padlock
Secured networks show a padlock in the Wi-Fi list, and secure web pages show one in the browser (HTTPS).
Switch to mobile data for banking
Guidance says to avoid e-banking on public Wi-Fi and suggests your own mobile data as the safer choice.
Keep devices updated
Updates fix flaws like Krack. Keep your phone, laptop and home router updating automatically where you can.
SHARING YOUR OWN WI-FI
Be a good host,
not an open door.
Get Safe Online says an unsecured router lets people in range use your bandwidth, eat into your download allowance, and even download material that would be traced to your address.
The NI Cyber Security Centre suggests changing the router's default passwords, using WPA2 or WPA3, and turning on the guest network for visitors and smart devices so they stay apart from the computers that hold your private files.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is public Wi-Fi safe to use?
It can be fine for everyday browsing, but guidance urges care. Get Safe Online says someone could intercept what you do online if the connection is not encrypted, or if a spoof hotspot fools you into joining it.
What is a rogue hotspot?
A Wi-Fi network set up to look legitimate so people connect to it. The NI Cyber Security Centre says whoever runs one could potentially see the information you send and receive.
Does a hotspot login page mean it is secure?
No. Get Safe Online says a hotspot that only asks you to log in mainly tells the operator you are online, and almost certainly has no encryption. An encrypted network asks for a key instead.
What is a guest network?
A separate Wi-Fi network offered by most home routers. The NI Cyber Security Centre suggests using it for visitors and smart devices, so they are kept apart from your main network and personal devices.
What is Wi-Fi Enhanced Open?
A Wi-Fi Alliance technology that encrypts data on open networks without a shared password. It is designed to keep the convenience of open hotspots while reducing some of their risks, and works with login pages.