Public Wi-Fi: Why Your Data Is at Risk and How to Protect It

Ordering a coffee, connecting to the complimentary Wi-Fi network and opening your inbox is a routine activity for many people. On an unencrypted public network, however, a substantial amount of the traffic you generate is potentially visible to other users connected to the same network.

What actually happens on a public Wi-Fi network

Using freely available tools, a malicious actor can intercept unencrypted traffic, set up a rogue access point that mirrors the legitimate network name (a so-called "evil twin"), or redirect DNS requests to fraudulent pages designed to harvest credentials.

Three protective measures that work

• Insist on HTTPS connections. Most major websites support it, but verify the padlock icon before submitting sensitive information.
• Use a reputable VPN. A VPN encrypts the entirety of your traffic, including DNS queries.
• Disable file sharing and automatic reconnection to known Wi-Fi networks while travelling.

Why a VPN addresses the majority of these risks

A VPN establishes an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server. To any observer on the local network, your traffic — including DNS queries — becomes unreadable. NordVPN relies on AES-256 encryption and the NordLynx protocol, which is based on WireGuard and consistently ranks among the fastest options available.