What are the advantages of’a virus protection when the’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 network ?

It is important to use a good antivirus software to surf on a public WLAN network. This helps to secure your connection. You will be protected against hacking, cyber attacks and possible indiscretions. Some programs even allow you to encrypt the communication and hide your IP address.

You can also 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 called public Wifi by abuse of language. The term Wifi actually refers to a standard of WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) technology.

Nevertheless, this is the most common standard in the world. Because of this, 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 be used by anyone with a compatible device (PC, smartphone, tablet…). Moreover, the connection is generally made without encryption. On the other hand, 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 antivirus software on this type of network ?

You need a antivirus software for surfing on a public WLAN network because of its open nature. An unencrypted connection also exposes you to significant risks. Indeed, hackers often exploit security flaws 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 recover 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 you should never do on a public network ?

You will be protected from hackers and malicious code by using a Antivirus for surfing on a public WLAN. 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;
• To allow automatic connections to available networks;
• To exchange sensitive or confidential information;
• Filling out forms that require personal information;
• Carrying out financial transactions;
• Browsing obsolete and unsecured sites (not https);
• Remember to disable data sharing on your device.

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

This will protect you from indiscretions, hacking and computer attacks.

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

You should also think about using a powerful antivirus software and check the efficiency of your device’s firewall.