Public WiFi Safety Guide

Protect yourself on airports, hotels, cafes and conference networks before you open email or banking apps.

Public hotspots are convenient but hostile by default

Unencrypted traffic, look-alike hotspots and shared LAN exposure create common risk. Treat public WiFi as untrusted until verified.

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Risk: man-in-the-middle interception

Attackers can observe or modify traffic when sites, apps or DNS queries are not protected.

Protection: HTTPS and encrypted DNS

Prefer HTTPS-only mode and use DoH/DoT resolvers when your device supports them.

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Risk: malicious hotspot names

Fake hotspots often mimic venue names and capture captive portal credentials.

Protection: VPN on untrusted networks

A reputable VPN adds an encrypted tunnel and reduces passive local-network exposure.

Pre-flight checklist