While Starbuck’s free public Wi-fi is convenient, is it actually safe? NO. Never use it.
It’s not just Starbuck’s Wi-Fi that is considered to be unsafe, using any public Wi-Fi can put you at risk for hacking, malware, and identity theft.
The main reason for this is how open these public networks are.
There are either very little (or no) authentication steps required to connect. Anyone with any device capable of connecting online can freely establish a connection.
The other big reason that public Wi-Fi spots are unsafe, is the lack of any encryption. The purpose of encryption is to protect data as it travels from point A to B. It does this by scrambling the data, so that if it is intercepted, it cannot be read or accessed.
The absence of any encryption means that any data flowing through the web can be intercepted, read, and accessed.
So for instance, if you are using Starbuck’s Wi-Fi to online shop, and you enter your credit card information, this info can be read as it is traveling from your device to the store’s server.
On public Wi-Fi networks, hackers can also set themselves so that they appear to be the connection point, or place themselves in between you and the real Wi-Fi connection point.
In these cases, instead of being directly connected to the coffee shop’s Wi-Fi set-up, your information is actually being routed through the hacker’s set up.
This allows them to see everything you are doing online, and collect the information going through the web. Malware can also be distributed through unsecured networks.
Don't use public wifi -- but if you do, never buy anything online using your credit card. Wait until you're home.
Also, make sure that any software updates and upgrades are coming from the software itself, and not from a website’s pop up notification.
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