Protect your smartphone in public WiFi - how it works

A public WLAN always carries a security risk: Therefore, you must protect your smartphone well if you use it to access an unprotected network. You can read how to do this in this tip.

Public WiFi: How to protect your smartphone

Public WiFi hotspots are a good thing, but they are also often dangerous.

• In order to protect yourself against viruses, Trojans or theft, you should have current virus protection installed on your smartphone.
• For example, we recommend Bitdefender Mobile Security or avast Mobile Security. The best list of all Android virus scanners can be found in another article.
• We also recommend that you set up secure access protection for your Android smartphone. You can usually do this in the settings under "Security"> "Screen lock".
• With the iPhone, you should activate a PIN code or - if available - the fingerprint sensor to protect against unauthorized access.
• When you have finished surfing, you should also switch off the WLAN on your device, otherwise attackers can hack into your device and electricity is also unnecessarily used.
• So that no data is intercepted while surfing the hotspot, you should install the so-called hotspot shield for your iOS. This app is also available for Android users.
• We show you step by step how to set up and use the Hotspot Shield in this guide.
• Note: When using VPN clients, make sure that they are switched on. You can recognize this by the VPN symbol at the top right.

Public WLAN: Further protective measures

• You should secure important accounts twice, i.e. with two-factor authentication. If the specified account is accessed, a code must also be entered. We show you how to set up this safety precaution in these various instructions.
• You should do without online banking entirely in public WLAN networks.
• Note: you should take a closer look when using public, free hotspots. More and more criminals are setting up an avoidable public hotspot to get their data.
• Therefore, check the name of the network precisely so that you do not catch the wrong WLAN hotspot.

Free WiFi in the ICE: You need to know that

Further tips for safe use of public WiFi can be found in the next article.