Free Wi-Fi Connection

If you need to connect to the internet and you have a choice between an establishment with free Wi-Fi connection and another one which charges P100 an hour which option would you choose? It is quite possible that you would opt to use the free connection. One may even argue that that paying a P100 per hour is too much for a service that you could actually get for free.

Free Wi-Fi services are no longer uncommon, for instance, Burger King Outlets now offers free Wi-Fi connection to its customers. It is easy to assume that having free Wi-Fi connection is comparable to other connection that charges an hourly rate. One can even think that there is no down-side in availing of the free connection. However, in one article Symantec pointed out that there is a downside in using free Wi-Fi connection. Free Wi-Fi connections offer little or no security and it is quite possible that the data transmitted could be intercepted by unscrupulous people. In that same article, it was also mentioned that wireless connection is generally secure because the data are transmitted as radio signals and it can be intercepted by some resourceful people. If there is no security in place, like data encryption, then it would be easier to use the intercepted data.

Of course, free Wi-Fi connection has its perks and you can continue availing of such service. You just have to carefully choose the transactions you make and the data you transmit when using such service. If you are not sure of your internet connection and you have to do some banking transaction then it is best to wait until you have a secure connection. If you would just like to surf the net and do some research then maybe it is okay to use such free connection.

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/44738/Caution-urged-with-using-free-Wi-Fi-hotspots