Before you pay your bills or write your genius
business plan at the local cafe, get to know these six useful practices:
1. Be aware that you're never secure.
Wi-Fi hot spots are always unsecured connections, so you and
potential hackers are hanging out in the same network bubble. It's not
difficult for one to tap into your activity and sniff out your personal
information. So, even if a hot spot requires a password or guides you through a
log-in screen, you're still at risk.
2. Harness built-in security tools.
Mac OS X and Windows have built-in security features that
you should take advantage of. Enable your firewall (through security settings)
and check off "Block all incoming traffic." This setting will keep
most of the bad guys out. Disabling file sharing (shown in the video above) is
also an important security measure.
3. Protect your passwords.
Hackers can retrieve saved passwords from your Registry or install
keyloggers, which make your keyboard activity available to them (including
passwords you type in). Install something like LastPass, a browser add-on that
stores your passwords in the cloud--you'll never have to type a thing and
passwords won't be saved on your computer.
4. Look for the padlock.
Web sites that use HTTPS encrypt your activity, so anything
you do on that site is confidential. Look for a padlock in the address bar, or
simply check the URL for "https://..." Not all Web sites do this, but
you can download HTTPS Everywhere, an add-on that will force an encrypted
connection on many popular sites.
5. Check the network name.
In an attempt to lure you in, hackers might set up fake
networks like "FREE Public Wi-Fi", or "Starbucks FREE." Check
with the venue's employees to confirm the name of their network.
6. Use common sense.
You should treat all open networks as a security risk. Don't
do any banking, online shopping, or other activities that would expose your
private information. If you wouldn't be willing to share it with the public, it
can wait until you get home.
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