Public Pool Etiquette
Ever been to a public pool? I’m sure the answer is yes, which means you may be familiar with the “rules” and the assumed risk.
For instance, consider the following risks:
- people may leave pee, snot, or other bodily fluids in the pool
- people may shed hair in the pool
- people may accidentally or purposefully splash you in the pool
- you may drown
- there may be the occasional bug or two floating around
- etc.
Now, as far as rules go, we all know there is one main rule that should never be broken:
- Do not expose yourself
Now that we’re on the same page and have setup the analogy, let’s talk about public WiFi.
What’s Wrong with Free WiFi
It depends… The short answer is, technically nothing, but as always exercise caution.
Public (Free) WiFi is literally the public pool of the internet. There are many of them around the world and no two pools are exactly the same, however there are universal risks and a golden rule:
- Do Not Expose Yourself.
There’s good reason for this rule, as you’re sharing a network with random people who could be hackers or using a device that is compromised, unbenownst to them. This means that your internet traffic and devices could potentially be spyed on. Additionally, in the case that you aren’t using WiFi from a known company such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Walmart, and others, you should excercise extreme caution and confirm the source of the WiFi. For instance, you would NEVER swim in the pool of an absolute stranger’s backyard if there was a sign on the front door of the house that said “Free Pool”. However, we are sometimes so desparate for WiFi that we would unintentionally or intentionally join a stranger’s WiFi, literally. Seriously, hackers or people with malicious intent will create open (free) WiFi networks to steal information, spy, and compromise.
What Do I Do?
Here’s a simple set of rules for utilizing Public WiFi:
- Always confirm the source of the WiFi is who you expect it to be, be wary of company WiFi that doesn’t have some kind of sign in page that asks for an email or acceptance of terms
- Do Not Expose Yourself. When possible, do not do anything private or sensitive while on these networks and if you must, use a secure VPN to encrypt the traffic.
- Triple Check the spelling of the WiFi to ensure it is not an imposter. For instance if you are looking for a network named StarbucksWiFi, do not join the network that says StarbucksFreeWiFi unless you have confirmed with the employees that this is a safe network to use
- If it feels sketchy, it probably is, use your gut.
There’s Still Another Can of Worms
I know, nobody wants a can of worms, however Public WiFi can be a slimy situation at times. In the future we’ll talk about WiFi safety while abroad. As mentioned in this journal, some people prey on the fact that we are often desparate for WiFi, and the stars align when you are in a foreign country, do not speak the native language, and have no service. This leaves you completely vulnerable and left to make a decision, stay tuned as we’ll discuss this and how to handle it in the near future.
If you’re reading this from the Public Pool of the Internet, safe swimming!