You’re killing some time with your mobile gizmo in an airport or cafe. The network has a password, so it’s “secured.” So is it okay for you to log into a website, do your online shopping, or transfer cash with online banking?
In my book, Android Phones for Dummies, I write, “I don’t avoid connecting to any public network that lacks a password, but I don’t use that network for shopping, banking, or any other secure online activity.”
Obviously, if a network is hanging open without a password, you don’t want to do anything secure on that connection. The key reason is that it may not be a legitimate network at all, but rather a passthrough network set up by some villain. They could be monitoring the traffic for passwords and other unencrypted information. It’s just best not to connect to such a network in the first place.
What if the network does have a password. Say that you’re in a location such as an airport or cafe. The question then is whether or not that password makes the network safer?
Short answer: It doesn’t!
Packet sniffers can always chug through any data sent through the air. That’s a scary thought, which is why many network security experts recommend wired networks over wireless. But is the danger really that great?
The answer is a frustrating, “It could be.”
Even encrypted data, such as the password you’d send to a secure online site, can be intercepted. When the data is encrypted, that makes it more difficult (but not impossible) for a Bad Guy to intercept. Generally speaking, they’re looking for unencrypted data first. Still, are you safe using such a connection?
My advice in the book, and in this post, is to go ahead and use the network. If you have any doubt, then avoid sending what you would consider to be secure information. Don’t shop. Don’t bank. Don’t log into your VPN or work server. If you must do so, then use the cellular data network instead of Wi-Fi: Turn off the device’s Wi-Fi to ensure that your gizmo doesn’t default back to that connection.
The bottom line, unfortunately, is that the Bad Guys are out there, digitally and in the real world. Being aware of the possibilities helps you avoid any unpleasant surprises. And, seriously, unless it’s a dire emergency, just wait until you’re back home, at the office, or using a hotel or conference center’s Wi-Fi before you do anything that could pose a risk. That’s what I do.
