How to Make Yourself More Secure Using Public Computers and Free Public Wi-Fi.

We all know when you have homework to do and you don’t want to sit at home, you would rather go to a coffee shop or the library to do it. Maybe you have your own laptop, tablet or phone and want to check Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or your using free public Wi-Fi. These scenarios can be innocent but they can also be your worst nightmare!

Protection when using a public computer!

Logout! You should NEVER EVER save any of your log-in information! This means that you should avoid clicking the box that says Save My Password or Remember Me. If it was saved then this would allow the next user to log on to the website you were just on. We do not want that! Find and click the “log out” button before you leave the page.

Avoid Personal Information! Never type your personal information on the computer. Avoid banking passwords, credit card account numbers, and things that can be used for identity theft. Always save this type of information for home use or from your phone with a respected carrier network. Even encryption will not work if the machine has a keylogger on it.

Delete Browsing History! Erase your browsing history and restart the computer when you are done. This will prevent someone from seeing what you have done on the computer if they sit down after you are done.

Pay Attention! Watch out and make sure no one is looking over your shoulder or spying on what you are doing. This might be common sense but it should be first on the list!

Protection when using a Public Wi-Fi Hotspot!

Firewall is important! Always use a firewall. You have one built in to your operating system just make sure it is up and running. If it is not turned on, go to Control Panel>Windows Firewall and turn it on.

Private File Sharing! Change your file sharing to Private not Public. Changing the file sharing to private can ensure that someone with malicious intent cannot access the files without your permission.

Encryption is a Must! Encrypt your sensitive files before you send them over the internet. There are free tools that you can use to make this easy, for example in Microsoft Word.

Turn off Wi-Fi! Turn off the Wi-Fi when you are not using it. This makes a huge difference in whether a hacker can get into your device or not. You never want to log into a network you don’t know and leave your device’s Wi-Fi on. If you are not using it turn it off. Doing this is like locking up your device when you walk away from it. This will make you less of a target for the hacker. Some computers have a switch on the side to turn off the Wi-Fi, if not you can go onto your task bar and choose disable.

Forget the Network! Make sure when you are done with your web browsing that you log off any services you are signed into. Don’t forget to tell your device to forget the network. This way if you are in range of the network your device will not try to connect to it without your permission.

S Secure is Best! If you do have to enter passwords or credit card credentials on a public Wi-Fi connection make sure that the website is secure. You can do this by making sure that the address bar displays HTTPS and not HTTP, the S in HTTPS stands for SECURE!

Don’t Share! Make sure you do not type what you would not want other people to see. If someone has connected to your computer, you do not want them to see what you are doing. Make wise choices and leave the sensitive stuff for home use.

If you take these precautions, then it is safe to use a public computer and free Wi-Fi!