Tech question: Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot

[somarco]

It’s usually pretty safe to use public Wi-Fi for non-sensitive activities—especially if it’s password-protected. But there’s always a risk an attacker might use tactics like packet sniffing or man-in-the-middle attacks to steal your data, so it’s better to avoid:

Filling out applications
Online or mobile banking
Shopping
Logging into accounts
Sending or receiving sensitive emails
Downloading files or apps

Public Wi-Fi: An ultimate guide to the risks + how to stay safe

Public Wi-Fi is used every day. But is it safe? To learn more about public Wi-Fi, its risks, and how you can safely use it, read this comprehensive guide.

us.norton.com

 

[Chazm]

It’s usually pretty safe to use public Wi-Fi for non-sensitive activities—especially if it’s password-protected. But there’s always a risk an attacker might use tactics like packet sniffing or man-in-the-middle attacks to steal your data, so it’s better to avoid:

Filling out applications
Online or mobile banking
Shopping
Logging into accounts
Sending or receiving sensitive emails
Downloading files or apps

Public Wi-Fi: An ultimate guide to the risks + how to stay safe

Public Wi-Fi is used every day. But is it safe? To learn more about public Wi-Fi, its risks, and how you can safely use it, read this comprehensive guide.

us.norton.com

Again, using a public WiFi is completely different than using your own hotspot as people are mentioning here.

 

[Surancedawg]

I used to use Verizon Jetpack but on these East TN mountains there were a lot of places I could not get a connection. There are places I can't get a connection with my phone but not as many as with the Jetpack.

I used a Verizon Mi-Fi dongle on my laptop all the years I was working out in the field. That thing got a solid 4G connection in areas where even my GPS wouldn't work. But this was rural Texas & Oklahoma - didn't really have to worry about mountains.

 

[shonceman]

I tried using my phone for a hotspot, and it didn't work very well, so I bought a tablet with a sim card and added another line to my phone plan.

To be honest, my iPad is cellular enabled. Like you, I pay for the extra line. However, since I don’t usually need much data, I just have the lowest rate plan available for it. Occasionally I go over the allotted data amount, so it gets throttled. That’s when I connect to my phone.

 

[shonceman]

Lol I must be doing it wrong. When I'm in a house, if I need something more than my cellphone I just connect to the customer's wifi

I’ve never been comfortable asking to use a client’s bathroom. I guess I feel the same way about their WiFi.

 

[Limozine]

I’ve never been comfortable asking to use a client’s bathroom. I guess I feel the same way about their WiFi.

Same. For me, though, a bigger issue was that half the time the client didn't remember their own password. I just prefer the convenience of an on/off button that works better than my phone.

 

[somarco]

Google "is a mobile hotspot secure"

Or you can ask my son, a Google Senior Security Engineer, who will say the same thing.

Just because you can make a connection does not mean that connection is secure.

 

[somarco]

I’ve never been comfortable asking to use a client’s bathroom. I guess I feel the same way about their WiFi.

Good point!

You never know if you have a secure connection anywhere. My home wifi is locked down making it almost impossible to breach unless they are connected via Ethernet to my modem. My wifi is visible but cannot be accessed even with the password unless your device is registered with my router.

 

[Limozine]

Google "is a mobile hotspot secure"

Or you can ask my son, a Google Senior Security Engineer, who will say the same thing.

Just because you can make a connection does not mean that connection is secure.

If it concerns you that much, you can always use a VPN. For me, I look it as risk like any other. I also look at wifi security like home security: if someone REALLY wants to get into your living room that bad and has the expertise to do so, there's little you can do to stop them, no matter how secure your alarm system. But reasonable precautions are enough in the vast majority of cases.

 

[somarco]

@Limozine using a VPN is recommended, especially if you are unsure of your connection.

Security experts also suggest turning off the Bluetooth connection on your cellphone when not using it.

Some of this seems like overkill but you might be surprised what can happen.

Wifi, cellphones and credit cards can be accessed when you least expect it. My wife was checking out in a store and the card reader scanned her credit card RFID while still in her purse. She had no idea what happened until the clerk told her he did not need her card, her purchase was already approved by her bank.