Free is always attractive, and public wi-fi is especially tempting for students with limited data plans on their phones.
However, public Wi-Fi networks are especially vulnerable to hackers lurking in open systems looking for data to steal and devices to control. You can help protect your school’s network by ensuring it is password protected and preventing students from using different techniques to bypass their locks.
However, you also have to teach them about the dangers of public wi-fi outside the center. Since they are almost always online, students are likely to connect to public wi-fi in coffee shops, restaurants, shopping malls, and other public places.
Although it can be inconvenient, there are many reasons to avoid public wi-fi, some of them being malware, worms, or unencrypted websites.
Luckily, you can teach your students to combat these risks. You can encourage them to:
- Use HTTPS websites. As Wired explains, “when you browse with HTTPS, other people connected to the same wi-fi network cannot snoop on the data that travels between you and the webserver to which you are connected. When you use HTTP it is relatively easy for someone else to see what you are doing. ” Your students should make sure that they only browse websites whose addresses start with HTTPS (you can tell them that the final “S” is for “safe”).
- Understand the privacy agreement of the public wi-fi network. As Popular Science says, your students should “read the fine print.” Actually, reading the privacy agreement that usually appears when you connect to public wi-fi can help students answer the questions: “what are you giving in exchange for your wifi access? How will your phone number or email address or whatever you provide be used? ” You should also teach students not to provide private information just for public Wi-Fi access, as their personal data is priceless.
- Disable device sharing option. Students should make sure they have turned off “sharing” their devices before connecting to public wi-fi. According to Wired, “when you are on a public network with strangers, you want to disable the functionalities of your devices that allow file sharing”; Although they can be useful for sending photos and other information easily, it can be dangerous to have them activated in a public setting.
- Connecting to public wi-fi with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) Forbes explains: “If you want to keep hackers at bay and protect your connection completely, you should consider using a virtual private network.” These systems “protect your data and prevent it from being accessible by third parties as they would need the encryption key to decrypt it.” The VPNs can help students stay safe from hackers’ networks wi-fi public. A VPN might seem too complicated for students, but they are actually very easy to use, especially for these tech-savvy generations. If your students need help, they can look at our beginner’s guide on choosing the best VPN for their needs.
Teaching your students to remember and apply these concepts can help them stay safe on public wi-fi.
