Greeting from the city under the sun Nairobi ,Kenya. Did you know WI-FI in full is wireless fidelity. Now you know .Do you know who might be watching when you connect to that free  Wi-Fi ? How safe is your personal data when browsing on public Wi-Fi ?

In our ever-connected world public Wi-Fi has become a common place convenience offering internet access in hotels, cafes, matatus, buses, airports and other public places.

However, this convenience comes with significant risks. By understanding the dangers of using public  Wi-Fi can help you protect your personal information and maintain your digital security

Risks of using public Wi-Fi

• Cyber criminals can set up rogue hotspots imitating legitimate public WI-FI networks. Once you connect, they monitor your online activities and steal sensitive data.
• Many public WI-FI networks lack encryption meaning the data you transmit can easily be intercepted by cyber criminals. This includes sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers and personal emails.
• In a man in the middle (MITM) attack a hacker intercepts communication between your device and Wi-Fi network, capturing any data you send or receive thus eavesdropping. This can occur without your knowledge thereby compromising your personal information

How you can protect yourself

• Using a virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, making it difficult for hackers to intercept your data when using public    Wi-Fi.
• Avoiding conducting sensitive transactions such as online banking or online shopping while connected to public Wi-Fi.
• Ensure the website you visit use Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), which encrypts the data exchanged between your browser and the website.
• After using a public Wi-Fi forget the network on your device settings this will prevent your device from automatically connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
• Lastly enable a two-factor authentication (2FA) for your online accounts hence adding extra layer of security in your online accounts.

Thanks for reading this article. Have a fruitful day, wont you!!!!!!