Are you thinking about how can you recognize an unsecured wireless network? Do you know that by recognizing it, you’ll be able to protect yourself and take all the precautions even if you decide to use it?
There’s more than one way to determine whether a wireless network is secured, and they’re all simple and reliable. All of them are covered in this article, so let’s look at them because you’ll never know when they might help you.
How Can You Recognize an Unsecured Wireless Network
Recognizing an unsecured wireless network is easy, and there are more ways to do that. So, regardless of why you’re interested in that, you can easily recognize an unsecured wireless network by checking the existence of a lock symbol next to the WiFi icon.
You can also determine if you don’t need a password to connect to that network and if you’d be asked to enter some of your personal information. Even the color of the lock symbol can tell you a lot about a wireless network.
You can find an explanation for each of these ways that can help to recognize an unsecured wireless network quickly, so continue reading if you want to learn more.
Also, this article will give you some tips to protect yourself when using an unsecured wireless network, so let’s start.
Detailed Guide
No lock next to the WiFi icon
The first and most obvious indicator that a certain wireless network is unsecured is the lack of a lock symbol next to the WiFi icon. Usually, every secured wireless network has a lock symbol that indicates that you’ll need to enter a password if you want to connect to it.
So, it doesn’t matter if you’re looking at the WiFi icon on your phone or computer. If the WiFi icon doesn’t have a lock next to it, then the wireless network is unsecured, and you can connect to it without entering a password.
Lock symbol color
This next indicator is a pretty interesting one that very few people know about and refers to the color of the lock symbol.
Pay attention to its color, even if there’s a lock symbol next to the WiFi icon. Normally, the lock symbol is black, but it also can be gray, which is not so easily recognizable. You should be careful when you notice this change because this is also an open, free, unsecured wireless network.
Read more: How to Control Devices Connected to Your WiFi
No password needed
Another indicator of an unsecured wireless network is the lack of passwords. So, if you’d like to connect to a wireless network and you don’t have to type anything, that means that the network isn’t secured, and you can join for free.
You’ve probably noticed that many shops, cafes, restaurants, and even airports have unsecured wireless networks that are available to anyone. However, even though the password isn’t needed, the chances are high that you’ll be asked to enter some personal info, which is the next indicator.
Ask for your personal info
An unsecured wireless network is called open WiFi, and you’ve probably been connected to at least one. Although the unsecured wireless network won’t ask you to enter a password to be able to use its services, you might be asked to share some of your personal info.
So, because the open public networks aren’t secured, that personal info can be easily stolen and misused by a third party, so you must be very careful what you’re going to share.
Also read: How to Block Device From WiFi
Tips to Protect Yourself
You can do some things to provide protection when using an unsecured wireless network. The most important thing is to change your device’s settings and not allow automatic connection to open WiFi networks.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you simply must connect your device to an unsecured wireless network, adhering to the following tips will protect you and keep you safe. So, remember and stick to them, or at least a couple.
The tips
- Always keep in the back of your mind that using an open wireless network isn’t secure. This way, you’ll never enter any personal or even financial information. That’s a big no!
- Downloading and clicking on pop-up windows is another big no!
- Remember that the websites whose URL starts with HTTPS are secured and encrypted, so visit only those types of sites.
- Try to use a VPN as much as possible, as that’s the safest way to use unsecured wireless networks. The VPN will encrypt your data, so you can be sure that your privacy is protected.
- Always log out from the accounts you’re using when connected to an unsecured wireless network. Don’t ever forget to stay logged in.
- Always use antivirus because if the unsecured wireless network has malware, it’ll immediately be noticed and removed by your antivirus program.
- Make it a habit to always set up and use two-factor authentication. As a result, even if someone gets your personal info, like your passwords, it won’t be able to do anything with them.
- When you’re done using the unsecured wireless network, keep in mind to always click “Forget network” in your device’s WiFi settings.
Conclusion
So, hopefully, you’ve got the answers you were looking for, and you can stop searching for how can you recognize an unsecured wireless network. It’s up to you whether you’ll accept connecting to one.
Now you know all the risks and the lack of digital security that using unsecured wireless networks brings. Still, you also know how to protect yourself if you decide to use it, so accessing one’s services won’t be so threatening.
In the end, it’s best to avoid using unsecured wireless networks as they lack encryption and privacy, so try to use your phone’s hotspot or check everything important at home.