Free Wi-Fi is a business tactic that many organizations use to get people in their doors, particularly service industry businesses that offer food, drink, or products. That said, how much can you actually trust the free wireless they provide? You want to avoid connecting to just any public wireless network, as doing so could put your devices at risk.
Verify That the Network Actually Belongs to the Organization
If you’re out and about, you might try to connect to a free wireless network without thinking about whether or not the network is a legitimate one.
The problem is that literally anyone can set up a network and call it whatever they want, which means that a hacker could easily create a bogus wireless network that gets you to connect to it without a second thought. The hacker can then use the router to steal data from your computer—all without you knowing. They don’t even have to be in the physical vicinity, either; they can remote into the device from anywhere.
The solution: always ask for the free wireless details before you just assume any one network is managed by the business. Even in the case of free wireless networks, most businesses will have theirs protected by a password of some sort, which they will include somewhere inside. If you don’t see one, ask.
Public Wi-Fi Is Generally Unsafe
Unfortunately, most public wireless networks should be considered unsafe, particularly if you are handling sensitive data.
Just about anyone can connect to these networks, and you have no way of knowing that they aren’t actively looking for ways to steal data from other users on the network. If you have to use public Wi-Fi, we recommend that your business deploy a virtual private network, or VPN. This encrypts data sent to and from your device on any network, which protects it from prying eyes.
In general, having a VPN is a solid practice that your business should embrace.
If You Are Providing Free Wi-Fi…
All that said, if your business provides free wireless access to customers, then you should take various steps to ensure it remains safe for both your visitors and your business.
We recommend that you create a second wireless network for your guests so that they don’t have to use the same network as your employees. This serves two purposes: it protects your network from potential threats, and it guarantees that your guests don’t eat into bandwidth your employees need to maintain productivity. Additionally, you want this guest network to be secured—as in, you have it protected by some sort of password—in the same way you might protect your main network.
All of these tips and strategies should help you stay safe on public wireless networks, as well as help you provide better and safer public wireless network access for your office’s guests. If you want help implementing these solutions, Business Solutions & Software Group can help. Just reach out to us at (954) 575-3992 to learn more.
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