Stay Safe – Free Wi-Fi Network Security

Whether you are at home or on the road, you can access free Wi-Fi virtually everywhere, from airports and hotels to coffee shops and fast food restaurants. But while it’s convenient to be able to easily tie into a wireless network, it can also be dangerous. If you aren’t careful, you could be making it way too convenient for hackers to do what they do best: steal your personal and business information.

Any time you use a free Wi-Fi hotspot that does not require a password, you should assume that a hacker can see everything you send and receive. Some Wi-Fi hot spots, such as those offered by AT&T and Comcast, require you to log in with your user name and password. All they are doing, however, is restricting access to the network; they are not creating a secure wireless connection.

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