By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
In 2025, safely using public Wi-Fi to protect personal information from computer and internet fraudsters is of the utmost importance.
Public Wi-Fi that does not require a password can leave data open to theft or manipulation, according to the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA warns people to be wary of password-secured public Wi-Fi networks as well, because they might not fully encrypt all data going through them.
“Always note every action and use every protection when using public Wi-Fi,” said Stoy Hall, CEO and founder of Black Mammoth, a financial planning firm.
Hall emphasized that people should take the necessary steps to protect their personal data because no one else will. He said African Americans should really take precaution because they sometimes face discrimination and prejudice when attempting to recover from a scam.
Hall said people may “not believe you at first, thus making your recovery lengthy and expensive.”
According to a Pew Research report, 54 percent of adults who use the internet said they use public Wi-Fi networks that may be insecure. One in five of the respondents said they use these networks to access e-commerce or online banking.
Hall provided a few tips on best public Wi-Fi practices.
Use a VPN
“A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be installed as an app on any of your devices,” said Hall. “Log in to that VPN and choose a different location that will be your IP address. If you’re not using a VPN, do not log in to any public Wi-Fi unless it is a trusted source.”
The NSA strongly recommends using VPNs, which encrypt your data, preventing hackers and fraudsters from accessing your personal information. The NSA also recommends only going to websites that utilize Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), which is typically indicated by URLs that start with “https://” or the symbol of a lock.
Use a personal hotspot
“This is what we recommend to all our business clients and what we use personally,” said Hall. “Anytime I am in a public setting…I will turn on my hotspot on my phone to use on the rest of my devices.”
While mobile phones can act as hotspots, a hotspot device can also be purchased separately to act as wireless access point that helps people connect their devices while on the go. According to Frontier Internet, an internet service provider, mobile hotspots usually have automatic security encryption that helps scramble users’ data and protect their information from potential hackers.
Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech), Washington State’s main technology service, recommends public Wi-Fi users make sure they are connecting to the correct network and not an imposter with a similar name, turn off auto-connect so they don’t automatically connect with bad networks and use a secure Wi-Fi network when possible.
Even with VPN or secured network use, WaTech recommends not using public Wi-Fi to complete financial transactions or access personal banking information.