East, west, home is best: that expression certainly applies to surfing the internet. But we don’t always sit at home on the couch and we also want to be able to use the internet outside the door. What do you pay attention to on the road?
Public WiFi without password
Free public internet is the most normal thing in the world in many places at home and abroad. For example, McDonalds, Starbucks, Albert Heijn or NS have free WiFi for customers. Connecting to the network is sufficient to access the Internet, as it is not password protected. This is convenient, but also unsafe. Because people can easily eavesdrop on internet traffic.
Public WiFi with password
It gets even better when a public internet connection is password protected. The internet traffic is then encrypted. A hacker has to crack the encryption to extract useful data from that internet traffic. Just knowing the WiFi password is therefore not enough for the hacker.
Never use public networks?
Any public network is a security risk. You run the least risk if you don’t use public networks outside of your home. But sometimes you just have to. For example, if you are outside the EU or if you have a small (prepaid) data bundle.
If you use public Wi-Fi, keep the following in mind:
- It never hurts to read a message on Nu.nl, or any other informative site. As long as it is not necessary to log in or otherwise send personal information. Just surfing the internet is always possible.
- Do not use the browser for internet banking, e-mailing or Facebooking. The passwords required for this can be intercepted.
- Turn off the Wi-Fi function on your device when you go out. Most devices will continue to search for known networks when Wi-Fi is active. This prevents the device from connecting to a fake connection that pretends to be a known network.
- Remove public networks from the device. Once you have connected to the free network of the NS, then remove it from your smartphone/tablet or laptop. Then you do not run the risk of accidentally connecting with a fake connection.
- Apps are more secure! So if you really must, use the Facebook app on the go or the Gmail app.
Always use the mobile network
Most people have a telephony subscription with a nice data bundle (4G/5G). ). Always use your smartphone’s mobile network! Nobody listens in on their own mobile network. This connection is therefore the safest.
Many phones have a hotspot option, by the way. This creates your own private network that other devices can also use. Then connect a laptop or tablet to this network, enter the password and you can safely use the internet on the go. Within the European Union, using the network does not cost anything extra. If you stay within your bundle of course.
Want to know more about hotspots? Read the following tips.
- Use Android phone as Wi-Fi hotspot
- iPhone as WiFi spot
Wi-Fi spots from Ziggo
Ziggo customers can use Ziggo WifiSpots. These are very well secured and have the same security level as your own home network.
Using VPN
VPN is the abbreviation of Virtual Private Network. This technique ensures a secure connection and also guarantees anonymity. A VPN can be enabled when connecting to a public network.
VPNs come in various forms. Usually you have to take out a paid subscription with a VPN provider. You can then connect to the VPN from all your devices using your login name and password. Read more about it in the article ‘What is VPN and what can I do with it?’.