How to protect your Windows 10 device on public Wi-Fi

Here we can see, “How to protect your Windows 10 device on public Wi-Fi”

• Although free public Wi-Fi networks can be appealing, accessing one can expose you to various risks.
• Traffic monitoring and data theft are two of the most prominent concerns of using public Wi-Fi networks. However, if you follow a few simple procedures, you can avoid all of this.

Public Wi-Fi networks are generally excellent since they allow free Internet access to almost everyone.

However, there is a dark side to public Wi-Fi networks. Although free Wi-Fi is convenient, it is not necessarily secure.

For example, malicious individuals may be present on the same public Wi-Fi network that you are now utilizing.

Because most of these agencies want your personal information, they can be dangerous to your safety and privacy.

But enough chit-chat; you’ve come to learn how to be secure while using public Wi-Fi networks, and that’s exactly what we’ll show you.

Keep safe your PC on a public Wi-Fi Network

1. Use a VPN

1. 1. Invest in a VPN subscription.
   2. Install the VPN client on your computer.
   3. Install the VPN software.
   4. Start it up and sign in to your account.
   5. You can connect to any server you like.
   6. On public Wi-Fi, browse privately and securely.

A VPN works wonderfully when it comes to shielding your traffic from various agents who would enjoy prying around and through it.

A VPN reroutes and encrypts your traffic over its private servers (safe tunnel).

Because of encryption, even if someone intercepted your traffic from within the public Wi-Fi network, it would appear to be gibberish.

2. Turn off sharing and network discovery

It’s not uncommon to enable file sharing and network discovery, especially if you’re on a secure network.

However, this capability should only be utilized at home or at work, or somewhere you can trust all of the network’s members.

As a result, we urge you to only utilize this feature in insecure circumstances and when absolutely essential.

You should never use it on a public Wi-Fi network. As a result, we’ll show you how to disable it.

1. 1. On your keyboard, press the Win key.
   2. Network type
   3. Choose the Network and Sharing Center option.
   4. Change advanced sharing settings by clicking on it.
   5. Find your current social media profile.
   6. You should always use the Guest or Public profiles when utilizing a public network.
   7. Select Network Discovery in the Network Discovery section. Disable network discovery.
   8. Select In the File and Printer Sharing option, and disable file and printer sharing.
   9. Save your changes.

Of course, turning off network discovery will prevent other devices from seeing you on the present network.

3. Enable your firewall

If you’re not utilizing a third-party firewall, you can at least make sure that your Windows firewall is turned on.

The goal of a firewall is to keep your computer safe from hackers by regulating incoming and outgoing network traffic.

Here’s how to see if your Windows Firewall is active:

1. 1. On your keyboard, press the Win key.
   2. Firewall type
   3. Select Windows Defender Firewall from the drop-down menu.
   4. Toggle the Windows Firewall on or off switch.
   5. In all the Private and Public network settings sections, select Turn on Windows Firewall.
   6. To save your changes, click OK.

If you have a third-party firewall installed, Windows Firewall will automatically turn off, and you won’t need to enable it.

4. Always use HTTPS

When you use your web browser, you’re sending data that could be intercepted by unscrupulous users on the same network.

If you’re not utilizing a VPN to encrypt all of your traffic, you should at the very least use an encrypted browser connection.

An encrypted connection is easily identifiable because it is tagged with HTTPS. HTTPS is an HTTP extension that is used for security reasons.

Of course, this isn’t true for applications or other services where you can’t see what’s going on or whether your traffic is encrypted.

However, checking the protocol in your browser is a quick and easy way to make sure everything is fine.

5. Turn off your Wi-Fi if you’re not using it

Even if you’re not actively using an app or service, it maintains connections and makes queries in the background.

Turning off your Wi-Fi while you’re not using it turns out to be a sensible move to avoid any unintentional data breaches.

6. Disable automatic Wi-Fi connections

Here’s the deal: your device has become increasingly intelligent over time, and it now believes it can make all of your decisions for you.

One example is connecting to any public, unsecured Wi-Fi if the signal is strong enough.

That saves you roughly 2 seconds, but it could also connect you to a fake hotspot set up by a malicious hotspot.

Hotspot Honeypots are what they’re called. Are you curious as to why? Because they make monitoring the traffic of unwitting victims looks easy.

7. Protect your accounts

A seasoned hacker or a script kiddie can be interested in stealing your private surfing data for various reasons.

However, stealing accounts is one of the most common reasons. If feasible, all of them: are social media, bank accounts, cloud storage, etc.

It’s a good idea to take a step back and realize that these aren’t precisely fair game. No, they’re protected with passwords.

So, what’s the first thing you should do to safeguard them? That’s right, pick a strong password, preferably one that is generated automatically.

Are you having trouble remembering all the different characters and symbols? You might use a password manager instead. There’s more, though!

You might use multi-factor authentication in addition to using strong, uncrackable passwords for your accounts.

If the attacker obtains your password, it will require extra confirmation to gain access to your account.

For obvious reasons, we do not recommend using your email address as a 2FA. If an attacker obtains your email address, they have access to everything you have tied to it.

8. Update your security software

You need to keep security software up to date, whether it’s an antivirus, firewall, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, or all of the above.

After all, they’re in charge of your device’s safety, especially while you’re using a public Wi-Fi network.

Simply check for updates regularly to ensure everything is working well.

You should absolutely do that more frequently than once in a while, but you get the idea.

Conclusion

I hope you found this guide useful. If you’ve got any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to use the shape below.

User Questions

1. Is it possible to track your computer via public WiFi?

Yes, you can, in a nutshell. Cookies, device information, and traffic analysis are all ways that a person might be tracked over public Wifi. When utilizing public Wi-Fi, there are various aspects that a user should be aware of.

2. On public WiFi, how does a VPN protect you?

Your internet communication is encrypted when you use a VPN, so no one can intercept it over public Wi-Fi. VPN encrypts your connection everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about external security. Cybersnoopers will be unable to breach the encryption barrier, keeping you safe.

3. What isn’t protected by a VPN?

It’s vital to remember that VPNs aren’t the same as full anti-virus software. They will secure your IP address and encrypt your browsing history, but that is all they can do. They won’t protect you if you visit phishing websites or download infected files.

4. Are public WiFi networks safe? Why? : r/AskComputerScience

Are public WiFi networks safe? Why? from AskComputerScience

5. ELI5: If I’m using a public wi-fi hotspot, how much of my 

ELI5: If I’m using a public wi-fi hotspot, how much of my personal information can be grabbed by a third party and how would they do this? from explainlikeimfive