When you connect to a network that isn’t under your control, someone else on the guest network could capture your data and even hack your computer. Your IT Pros can take steps to reduce the risks, but it is best not to connect.

So, how do you work remotely?  Most phones these days permit you to connect your laptop through the phone to use the Internet. This functionality is often referred to as making a personal hot-spot. There are even devices that provide the 4G connectivity without using your phone.

Call your mobile phone service provider and ask how much of your data plan you use now. You might be pleasantly surprised that, especially using email and browsing the web, using your phone as a personal hot spot will be less expensive than you might think.

And a side benefit to connecting your laptop to the Internet through your phone:  the speeds may be faster too.

Please share this with everyone you care about who might be tempted to connect to a public wireless network.

The post Avoid Public Wireless Networks and Hot Spots appeared first on Foster Institute.

First of all, realize that someone may be watching your data go back and forth to the web sites you visit. Behave accordingly.

Second, know that when you visit a web site with an address that starts with HTTPS://, rather than HTTP:// without the S, the attack process becomes much more difficult. Using your bank web site is more secure than looking up nearby restaurants on yelp.com.

Third, accessing your email from a public place? It depends on how your IT professionals configured the connection. Not always, but usually accessing email is secure. Check with a qualified IT professional to be sure. If they use Outlook Web Access OWA or Outlook Anywhere, there are built-in mechanisms to help keep your data secure.

And, a bonus tip is to know that one of the best ways to protect yourself is to not use Wi-Fi at all. Instead, sign up for a data plan from ATT, Verizon, Sprint or other carrier. And, if you have tethering on your phone—guess what, the connection from the phone to your computer may very well be, you guessed it, Wi-Fi!

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