If you travel regularly, you have probably connected to public Wi-Fi without thinking twice. Airports, hotels, cafés, shopping centres and train stations all offer convenient ways to get online.
When I am travelling, free Wi-Fi can be incredibly useful. It lets me watch streaming video, check directions, confirm bookings and stay connected without using mobile data. However, I never give an unfamiliar network the same level of trust as my home connection.
That doesn’t mean you need to avoid public Wi-Fi completely. A few simple habits can help you use it more safely.
Is Public Wi-Fi Dangerous?
Not necessarily.
Most people use public Wi-Fi without experiencing a security incident. However, public networks are less trustworthy than your home network because you have little control over who operates them, how they are configured or who else is connected.
The mistake is assuming that a network is safe simply because it is free, convenient or named after the place you are visiting.
Cybercriminals know people may lower their guard while travelling, waiting for a flight or stopping for a coffee. Public Wi-Fi can therefore create an opportunity for fake networks, fraudulent login pages and other attempts to collect personal information.
Check the Network Name Before Connecting
One of the simplest risks is connecting to the wrong network.
Imagine walking into a café and seeing two available networks:
Cafe_GuestCafe_Free_WiFi
One may belong to the café. The other could have been created by anyone nearby.
A fake network may use the name of a nearby café, hotel or airport to appear legitimate. If you are unsure which network to use, check the venue’s signage or ask a staff member for the correct name.
Avoid choosing a network simply because it has the strongest signal or the most convincing name.
Be Careful with Wi-Fi Login Pages
Some public Wi-Fi networks display a sign-in page before granting internet access. This is sometimes called a captive portal.
A legitimate portal may ask you to:
- Accept terms and conditions
- Click a button to connect
- Enter an email address
- Enter a room number or access code supplied by the venue
Be cautious if a public Wi-Fi portal asks for your existing email password, banking information, payment-card details or other sensitive information.
Ask yourself:
Does this Wi-Fi service genuinely need this information?
If the request doesn’t make sense, disconnect and confirm the process with the venue. Don’t enter sensitive information just because a page appears immediately after joining a network.
Be Aware of Shoulder Surfing
Not every public Wi-Fi risk involves sophisticated technology.
When you check emails, bank balances or personal information in a public place, someone nearby may be able to see your screen or watch you enter a password.
If you need to access sensitive information:
- Position your screen away from foot traffic
- Be aware of who is sitting or standing nearby
- Avoid displaying private information in crowded areas
- Consider using a privacy screen if you regularly work while travelling
- If your device supports Face ID, fingerprint scanning, or Windows Hello, consider using them for daily sign-ins. Not only are they convenient, but they also reduce the need to type passwords or PINs in public where someone could be watching.
Sometimes the simplest way to protect sensitive information is to wait until you have more privacy.
What I Avoid on Public Wi-Fi
When I’m connected to an unfamiliar public network, there are certain activities I generally avoid if they can wait:
- Online banking and making financial transactions
- Accessing sensitive work systems
- Changing payment information
- Uploading identity documents
- Resetting important passwords
These activities are not guaranteed to be unsafe on every public network. I simply prefer not to take an unnecessary risk when mobile data or a trusted connection is available.
Not every task needs to be completed immediately.
What HTTPS Does and Doesn’t Protect
Most legitimate websites now use HTTPS. This encrypts information travelling between your device and the website, which helps prevent other people on the network from reading that traffic.
However, HTTPS does not guarantee that a website is trustworthy.
A phishing website can also use HTTPS and display a secure connection. The padlock indicates that the connection is encrypted, not that the person operating the website is honest.
Before entering login or payment information:
- Check that the website address is correct
- Be cautious of misspelled domain names
- Avoid following unexpected links from texts or emails
- Use the organisation’s official app or navigate to its website yourself
Encryption protects the connection. It does not protect you from entering information into a convincing fake website.
Keep Your Device Updated
One of the simplest ways to improve your security on any network is to keep your devices and applications updated.
Software updates frequently include security fixes for known vulnerabilities. Delaying updates can leave your device exposed to problems that have already been identified and corrected.
Whether you use a smartphone, tablet or laptop, enable automatic updates where practical and restart the device when an update requires it.
Turn Off Automatic Wi-Fi Connections
Some devices can automatically connect to remembered or open Wi-Fi networks.
This is convenient, but it may cause the device to join a network without you deliberately choosing it.
Review the Wi-Fi settings on your devices and consider turning off options that automatically connect to unknown or open networks. After using public Wi-Fi, you can also remove or “forget” the network if you don’t expect to use it again.
This gives you greater control over when and where your device connects.
Turn Off Unnecessary Sharing
When using public Wi-Fi, check whether your device has features such as network discovery, file sharing or printer sharing enabled.
These features may be useful at home or work, but they are generally unnecessary on a public network. Australian technology-safety guidance recommends disabling discovery and file or printer sharing while using public Wi-Fi.
If your device asks whether the network is public or private, select the public option for unfamiliar networks. This generally applies more restrictive sharing settings.
Use Mobile Data for Sensitive Activities
Sometimes the simplest option is to avoid public Wi‑Fi altogether.
When travelling recently, I found that international eSIM providers have made this much easier than it used to be. With an unlimited data eSIM from a provider such as Holafly, I was able to avoid public Wi‑Fi almost entirely. In most places, my mobile data connection was fast and reliable enough for everything I needed.
There were only a handful of occasions where hotel mobile coverage was poor and using the hotel’s Wi‑Fi became the better option.
For those situations, I would connect to my VPN before doing anything online. Personally, I use Proton VPN, but providers such as NordVPN offer similar services. Using mobile data where possible and a trusted VPN when public Wi‑Fi is necessary has worked well for me while travelling.
What About VPNs?
A virtual private network, or VPN, can encrypt traffic between your device and the VPN provider. This can provide another layer of protection when using an unfamiliar network.
Personally, I use ProtonVPN whenever I’m travelling and connecting to public Wi‑Fi. Other well-known providers, such as NordVPN, also offer similar services. When I’m using public Wi‑Fi in airports, hotels, or cafés, I make a habit of connecting to a VPN before doing anything else online.
However, a VPN is not a complete cyber-security solution.
A VPN will not stop you from:
- Clicking a phishing link
- Entering a password into a fake website
- Downloading malicious software
- Reusing an exposed password
- Giving information to a scammer
If you choose to use a VPN, select a trusted, well-known provider and treat it as one layer of your overall security approach.
A VPN can help protect the connection. It cannot decide whether a website, message or request is legitimate.
A Simple Public Wi-Fi Checklist
Before connecting to public Wi-Fi:
- Confirm the correct network name with the venue
- Be cautious of portals requesting sensitive information
- Avoid accessing important accounts unnecessarily
- Check website addresses before entering information
- Keep your device and applications updated
- Turn off automatic connections and unnecessary sharing
- Use mobile data for sensitive activities when possible
- Stay aware of who may be able to see your screen
- Treat a VPN as an additional layer, not a complete solution
Australian government guidance similarly recommends avoiding sensitive transactions on public Wi-Fi, maintaining device protection, keeping software updated and using strong passwords.
Final Thoughts
Public Wi-Fi isn’t something to fear, but it should be approached with a little caution.
Most cyber-security advice isn’t about avoiding technology. It is about understanding when convenience introduces additional risk and choosing the safer option when it matters.
The next time you are waiting at an airport, sitting in a café or connecting from a hotel lobby, take a moment to confirm the network and consider what you plan to do online.
Free Wi-Fi is convenient. Trust should never be free.
Further Reading: Cyber Security Awareness Series
If this incident taught me anything, it’s that cyber security isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being prepared.
- How to Create Strong Passwords Without Writing Them Down
- Why Does My Text Message Say “Unverified”? Australia’s New SMS Scam Protection Explained
- ATO Tax Scams: How to Spot One and What to Look Out For– Tax season is when Australians are most vulnerable to scams, and scammers know it.
- “Hi Dad, I Dropped My Phone”: How a Simple Text Stole $3600 And Why This Scam Is Exploding – A complete breakdown of the “Hi Dad / Hi Mum” text message scams
- The Toll Scam Text Message That Hit Me Inside the Tunnel– A practical guide to recognising and avoiding toll‑text message scams.
- Social Media Privacy Reset – A step-by-step guide to tightening your social media privacy settings.
- Think Before You Click – How to recognise suspicious links, messages, and online traps before you fall for them.
- Strong Authentication Made Simple – A clear breakdown of MFA, why it matters, and how to set it up properly.
- Everyday Device Protection – Simple settings and habits that harden your phone and laptop against common threats.
- Travel Cyber Security Tips – How to stay secure on public Wi-Fi, in airports, hotels, and while exploring abroad.
- Introducing Everyday Cyber Security – The origin of the series and the philosophy behind making cyber security accessible.