Arun Marballi

These days with increasing use of wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity, the proliferation of hotspots (Wireless Internet access points) has enabled us to retain connectivity in all kind of places – from airports, hotel lounges, coffee parlors, restaurants, libraries to even entire downtown areas. However, all hotspots are not the same – some are safer than others and users that do not use them with caution run the risk of catching a virus, or worse, risk letting eavesdroppers gain access to their personal and private information.

Fortunately, there are a number of steps that we can take to mitigate the risks of using a public hotspot. First of all, use an anti-virus product and keep it updated. Next, assuming that you are using a Windows based computer (as a vast majority of us do), we need to adjust certain settings to make the computer a tad less uninhibited and friendly. We need to teach our computer to “never talk to strangers.” We can do this by following the steps indicated in “Turn off ad-hoc mode in Windows” in the sidebar. We should also turn off the file-sharing feature of Windows – which by default, is turned on. We can do this by following the steps indicated in “Turn off File Sharing in Windows” in the sidebar.

Finally since all wireless-enabled Windows based computers act as wireless transmitter-receivers by default, we should turn off the Wi-Fi Radio incorporated in our computers when we do not need it to ensure that the computer does not constantly send out signals attempting to talk-up a connection with any consenting device within range. To do this follow the steps indicated in “Turn off the Radio” in the sidebar. We need to do this when we are not expecting to connect with a hotspot or simply when we do not intend to connect to a Wi-Fi network!

Additionally, we should bear in mind that many hotspots do not use encryption (the process of encoding all messages to and from our computers). Hotspots that use encryption are easy to identify by the “security-enabled” label when we display the list of available wireless connections. Choosing to use a hotspot that is not secure represents a risk, as the hotspot provider could be a rogue device that is attempting to sniff out account numbers and passwords. If we do choose to use hotspots that are not secure, we should never carry out any sensitive or confidential transactions such as online banking or online shopping with a credit card. Available Wi-Fi networks are identified by their Service Set Identifier (SSID).

The SSID by default is the name of the hardware used for the wireless access point such as Linksys or Netgear – most residential networks are identified as such because their owners have typically installed them right out of the box and have not bothered to change the configuration. Most business owned networks use a custom SSID and may be secured as well. For venues that offer free Wi-Fi, such as Panera Breads or Starbucks, we will find that a custom SSID will be in use and it will probably not be secure. In such situations it is important to bear in mind that even though we are connecting to a safe network, the fact that it is not secure means that our wireless transmissions are not private and confidential.

Turn off ad-hoc mode in Windows:

In the Network Connections menu, click “Wireless Network Connection.”

Click “change the settings of this connection.”

Wait for the Windows Network Connection Properties window to open.

Click the little tab that says “Wireless Networks.”

In that tab, click “Advanced.”

In the “Advanced” window, click “Access point (infrastructure) networks only.”

Turn off File Sharing in Windows:

On the Start menu, select Settings.

Select Network Connections.

Find the Internet connection and right-click to select Properties.

Find the General tab. If there’s a check mark next to File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks, then click to uncheck it. (If it’s already unchecked, then leave alone.)

Turn off the Radio:

Right-click on the wireless network icon in the right-hand bottom corner of the screen. (It’s the picture of the computer with radio waves coming out of it.) Click disable.

Arun Marballi has worked in the Information Technology arena for more than 20 years with extensive experience in software development, process design and network/workstation management. For comments, questions, tips or suggestions, e-mail amarballi@hotmail.com.

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