There are hundreds of public Wi-Fi hotspots these days which may allow you to connect your gadgets to the internet even if you are not at home or in your office. This is convenient although you have to remember that this can also cause harm to your gadget including the programs and files within it.
Some people find it irrelevant to be concerned about the safety of their gadgets when connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots but really, this is something that should be taken seriously. There are a lot of people out there who either has the intention to intrude to other’s privacy and hack their computers and gadgets. Apart from that, this is also an open opportunity for people to spread virus and other malicious files and programs. You definitely do not want to be a victim of any of those, right?
Here are some things which you can do to protect you computer.
First, it would be great if you can avoid accessing sites which you absolutely do not want to share to other people. This includes online banking, online shopping accounts or even your accounts for social networking sites. Although this may be quite difficult to do, not accessing sites such as those can make sure that there really is no one else that can possibly intrude with your personal accounts. If it could wait, it is much better to access those sites when you get home or when you already have a secure connection.
Second, if there is a need to access sites with confidential details, make sure that you log-off from them after browsing or doing the things you need to get done. Secure sites can be of great help. These secure sites are the ones which uses https:// instead of http://
Third, make sure that the control settings for your computer are set such that it will not share files and other information. Access this set-up through the Control Panel. Turn off Network Discovery and make sure that you turn off the Public Folder Sharing. This may require some effort especially if you would want the settings to be different when you are at home or in the office. Yet, the effort is really worth it.
Fourth, install a good anti-virus program. Aside from that, frequently update your anti-virus software to ensure that it is capable of detecting even the newly created viruses.
Fifth is to activate the firewall and put it in the most secured settings.
Indeed, these things can be a little tedious to do but would you sacrifice the safety of your computer files, programs and other confidential information within your gadget? After all, practicing these tips can eventually develop a habit and pretty soon, you would not even have to be reminded about it.