Traveling can be pretty intense at times with all the safety hazards lurking among us. Have you thought about dangers using public WiFi? There are so many hackers today that just sit in coffee shops across the country and wait for their next paycheck to sit and sip a cup of coffee while on the public WiFi. Why wouldn’t you be safe about your personal property? How many people in the world say “Ah it won’t be but just a minute.”? And, then 30 minutes later they have lost track of the time while still using the public WiFi.
So I look at it like this, and not just because I am in medical imaging but because it is a good analogy.
So, who has had a X-ray before? Most of us! Did it hurt? No! You don’t feel anything. So what happens if you keep getting X-ray over and over? What does radiation do to you if you continuously get overexposed? Well, it can make you sick long term with potentially cancer 20 years from now.
So, what happens when we use public WiFi? Oh, it still doesn’t hurt. You still didn’t feel anything. You are leaving yourself open to opportunity for hackers. This can affect you 5, 10, 15, and possibly 20 years from now.
My point is this. What doesn’t hurt you right now because you can’t see it or touch it doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you later. So even if you leave that coffee shop and nothing happens for a week, doesn’t mean someone didn’t get your personal information. It is up to you to keep your personal information safe while you are traveling. We are going to talk about this here.
VPN’s….
There are so many apps that provide personal VPN’s to keep your data safe. Sometimes the app can slow down your speed but it is for your protection so be patient. Here are the top VPN’s.
NordVPN
Surfshark
atlasVPN
ExpressVPN
IPVANISH
purevpn
IVACY
norton
privateVPN
ProtonVPN
Hot spots….
If you have your own personal hot spot that requires a password to join, then I suggest you use this. Some hot spots offer additional safety with an added VPN service. Look into which hot spot is best for you. I personally use Solis Lite. It has its own unique password and the service offers a personal VPN if you choose. I feel pretty secure with my hot spot password. Here are some more top hot spots.
Inseego 5G MiFi M2000 (T-Mobile)
Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AT&T)
Jetpack MiFi 8800L (Verizon)
Netgear Nighthawk M5
Verizon Orbic Speed 5G UW Mobile Hotspot
ZTE ZMax Connect MF928
Change your passwords….
Change your passwords frequently. Don’t use the same password on all of your accounts. The same password on all of your accounts will lead you into compromise on the dark web. Trust me! There is someone waiting to get your information.
Stay engaged…
Pay attention to your surroundings. Typically, people who are up to no good in the coffee shop will be working on their lap top, they will not have a hot spot, and they will be very normal in their work. All the time sitting there, he/she is finding all the IP addresses that are on the public router, changing how their IP addresses connect, and is getting all the browsing information because his/her laptop is now the router.
Aftermath…
Coffee shops are great to visit, relax, and enjoy that warm cup of Joe. I encourage you to pull out your hot spot that is password protected or use a VPN. Heck, you can use both for extra protection. Having your identity compromised through public WiFi is as easy as dropping a beautiful cake on the floor. It is sudden and very painful.
So, if you don’t want to deal with 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years of securing your identity again, then I recommend staying off of the public WiFi, use a password protected hot spot, and/or have a VPN to protect you.
Happy Traveling Ya’ll!
Never knew the dangers of public WiFi. I ve never had an issue with it as I go to Panera and Starbucks quite a lot. I use the public WiFi at the library on my smart phone and now after reading this article I should be vigilant. How about smart phones? They must be prime for hackers
Absolutely Thomas. Your cell phone has its own unique IP address as well. Keep it safe!
As technology continues to improve so also does the risk of using it continues to increase. One of these risks is hacking. I use a hot spot for myself and my family. Since it is password protected, I never thought it could come with a VPN. Thank you for pointing it out. I will also take a look at Solis lite and its VPN services
Hello Parameter! I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the Solis Lite. I love the fact that I am not limited to one carrier.
Well! As my dearly departed mother used to say, You learn something new every day…if you’re smart. Ha! After reading your post, I certainly learned more than one new thing today. I had no idea that people steal my information this way. VPN are letters I see frequently but paid no attention to their meaning. I knew about routers but did not know getting your IP address is how a person steals information. So thanks for this heads-up. It is definitely going to make me careful. is Solis a place that offers services that protect you from this? Is it like McAfee?
Hi Hazel. No. Solis is not a virus protection software like McAfee. Solis Lite is a hot spot that is password protected to your specific device. This device allows you to use all the cell towers to connect to the internet anywhere there is a cell tower. It is not specific to a cell carrier either. A VPN is a virtual private network that provides you with better security so your ip address isn’t exposed to hackers. As in the article a hacker or crook needs your ip address to funnel your data to their computer to get your information. So a hot spot is still not the safest option without a VPN. The VPN is the protection you need, and it is not a virus software either. If you buy a solis lite, this hot spot does offer a VPN service with their device. Not all hotspots offer that. If you want a VPN without the use of a Hot Spot at a public WiFi location there are many apps to get a VPN from. I use Express VPN myself. I hope this helps! Happy Traveling!
Oh my goodness! New fear unlocked! I was never actually aware at how risky it is to use public Wi-Fi.
If you had to weigh up the options of the VPN and the personal hotspot, am I right in saying that the hotspot would be the better choice because it comes with a VPN and technically only you would be able to access your hotspot through the password?
Let me explain that a little better. Some hotspots do offer VPN service with their devices and some are independent of the VPN’s. A hot spot is a personal device that has its own password. A VPN is a virtual private network that hides your IP address and tunnels traffic between your device and the remote server. So in essence, the hot spot is a plus but a hotspot + VPN is ideal to keep you safe from hackers.
Hi, thank you for creating such an insightful yet important post!
Though I did know wifi and these invisible rays can impact are health in some way I wasn’t aware that public wifi can be dangerous to our health as well.
I definitely am going to stick to my own network when I really need it! Since technology has evolved so much and rapidly as well, it has become quite hard to stay up to date in what can negatively impact our health!
Thanks again and have a great day!
You’re welcome Sarah. Technology does change rapidly. Stay safe. 🙂