How to stay safe on public WiFi while travelling

When using public WiFi, it’s important to take steps to protect your data and keep your devices secure

THE INTERNET HAS become a necessity. Try to imagine your daily life without it. You just can’t. It’s almost miraculous how people used to live without the internet and, even worse, without electricity. But when traveling abroad, you get to taste life without one of its luxuries – access to the internet 24/7 (unless you’re going to a place without electricity, then you wouldn’t even need the net).

While traveling, you’d have to rely on hotspots or public WiFi instead of your regular data plan. But you’re one step ahead. You know that identity thieves and hackers are waiting for you to connect to a public WiFi network. Luckily, an extra step helps you stay safe on public WiFi while traveling. It’s reading this guide and implementing these tips to keep your devices secure:

Use A Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN needs to be your best friend while traveling. It’s like having a digital security guard that helps you evade cyberattacks by masking your actual IP address. The virtual private network, just like the name suggests, keeps your connection private. All your data gets encrypted and bounced around multiple servers, making it nearly impossible for hackers, marketers, governments, and internet service providers to know what you’re doing online. They won’t be able to snoop in your business, even if you’re just looking at cute pictures of your dog back home.

Using hotel (restaurant, coffeeshop) WiFi

Most hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, and businesses have woken up to the fact that public WiFi is unsafe. Now, they’ve transitioned to using private and secure networks, just like the one you have at home. If the place you’re staying in has a guest-only network, it’s most likely okay to connect to it. Of course, the whole situation would be better if you use a VPN on top of it. As a side note, one of the things you can do to stay safe online is to call your accommodation provider beforehand. Ask them about their internet policy (whether it’s public or private), so you don’t get surprised the moment you get there.

Use an eSIM

Your SIM card gives you mobile data wherever you are in your home country. It’s the small card you put in your phone when you first get it and then forget it. An eSIM takes the whole idea a bit further. It uses the parts already included in your phone and gives you data access wherever you go. It’s a fantastic security resource for traveling because no one can steal it, clone it, or remove it from your phone. It’s safer than any WiFi since your data is encrypted, your network is entirely private, and the eSIM is always equipped with the latest security measures.

Use an antivirus

Sometimes, you’ll be the one to make a mistake. You’ll click on the wrong link, fall for a phishing attack, or download an infected file. In any case, you need a tool to provide threat intelligence and help analyze and identify cyber threats. That’s where an antivirus comes in. Along with using an ad blocker to prevent malicious pop-ups and unwanted ads, an antivirus ensures any malware or corrupted file on your device gets deleted before it can cause damage. This way, hackers won’t gain access to your personal information or credit cards.

Use roaming

There are only two situations when you should be using roaming while traveling. One is if you’re in an emergency and you absolutely need to go online to ask for help or to notify someone about something incredibly important. The other one is if you’re super rich or you just don’t care about the concept of money but do care about security. Roaming plans usually give you about 1 to 3 gigabytes of data, which is enough to go online, reply to an email, or use a messaging app. But browsing Instagram or watching Shorts while roaming just doesn’t make any sense to your wallet. It’s still an option, though.

A few more tips to keep you safe online:

–        Don’t use public computers or devices.

–        Use banking apps only on secure home networks.

–        Stick to websites that have HTTPS in their URL.

–        Think twice before connecting to a network that doesn’t have a password.

–        Turn off “sharing” with other devices on the network.