What are the advantages of’antivirus protection when surfing a public WLAN’surfing on a public WLAN network ?

Public networks are particularly interesting for saving data on your cell phone plan. However, public hotspots are rarely secure. They are by definition accessible to any user, including hackers.

Thus, you are exposed to the risks of hacking and spying. You should therefore take precautions to improve the security of your connection to public WLANs.

What is a public WLAN ?

It is important to use a good antivirus software for surfing on a public WLAN network. This measure helps to secure your connection. You will be protected against hacking, cyber attacks and possible indiscretions.

Some programs even allow you to encrypt your communication and hide your IP address. You can discover a free antivirus with integrated VPN on the website of the company’Avira.

As a reminder, a public WLAN is a wireless network accessible to all users in the vicinity. It is commonly referred to as public Wifi by abuse of language. In reality, the term Wifi refers to a standard of WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) technology.

Nevertheless, it is the most common standard in the world. As a result, all wireless networks are mistakenly equated with WiFi.

In any case, a public WLAN is defined by its open nature, as opposed to private networks. It can therefore be used by anyone with a compatible device (PC, smartphone, tablet…). In addition, the connection is usually made without encryption. In contrast, a box is often protected by a password and a WPA or WEP encryption key.

Your connection is then secured on a private wireless network.

Why use an antivirus on this type of network ?

You need a antivirus to surf on a public WLAN network because of its open nature. An unencrypted connection also exposes you to significant risks. Indeed, hackers often exploit security holes in unencrypted communications.

They can then inject viruses or steal personal data from vulnerable devices.

On public networks, you risk being the victim of a hacker method called “man in the middle”. The practice is to capture the data packets transferred between the router and the connected devices. In this case, the hacker can intercept your traffic and retrieve your personal information. This type of cyber attack is really dangerous because of its discretion.

On the other hand, public WLANs make it easier to monitor your online actions. Spying in itself is already problematic for your privacy. It can have a serious impact if you are dealing with sensitive or confidential information.

Cybercriminals can also steal your identity by stealing your passwords and studying your Internet behavior.

What never to do on a public network ?

You will be protected from hackers and malicious code by using a VPN antivirus software for surfing on a public WLAN network. You should also take preventive measures if you want to use these connections. In particular, you should avoid :

• To leave the Wifi active at all times;
• Allow automatic connections to available networks;
• Exchange sensitive or confidential information;
• Filling out forms that require personal information ;
• Carrying out financial transactions;
• To surf on obsolete and unsecured sites (not https);
• To forget to disable data sharing on your device.

It is also recommended to use a VPN to connect to a public wireless network. This way, you will be able to surf the web anonymously and securely. This solution allows you to hide your real IP address and to encrypt data exchanges.

Thus, you will be protected against indiscretions, hacking and computer attacks.

The best solution is to to avoid public Wifi networks to avoid any risk. If you really need a connection, it’s best to use known and verified access points. In this way, you do not risk connecting to an exposed network or to hackers’ servers.

Also remember to equip yourself with a powerful antivirus and to check the effectiveness of your device’s firewall.