Is Free Wi-Fi Safe?
Free public Wi-Fi is available in cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, stations, hotels, libraries, and even conference venues, but these free services may not always be safe and reliable! Hackers can exploit insecure public wireless networks to steal data transmitted by all users connected to the Wi-Fi. They can see what passwords you type, what images you send, and even your banking credentials. We should stay vigilant and take additional precautions to protect ourselves.

Enable the Firewall
Most operating systems come with a basic firewall. Before connecting your computer to public Wi-Fi, enable the firewall to block external attacks and threats.

Verify the Authenticity of the Hotspot
Hackers might create fake hotspots with similar names to carry out Wi-Fi eavesdropping. Therefore, before connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, confirm the correct hotspot name with relevant staff or store employees.

Avoid Services that Expose Important Personal Information
Hackers can use public Wi-Fi networks to steal your browsing history and personal information. When using public Wi-Fi, try to avoid services that expose important personal information (e.g., online shopping involving credit card information, online banking requiring account passwords). Additionally, websites from unknown sources may not be securely encrypted and are more likely to have security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit, so they should also be avoided as much as possible.

Reference Source | Institute of Watch Internet Network (iWIN)