{"id":387,"date":"2018-07-10T14:35:34","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T13:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/209.222.30.173\/?p=387"},"modified":"2020-12-22T13:48:53","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T13:48:53","slug":"staying-safe-when-using-public-wifi-while-interrailing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/staying-safe-when-using-public-wifi-while-interrailing\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying safe when using public WiFi while interrailing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We may enjoy free mobile roaming in Europe (for now, at least!) but when traveling by train the onboard WiFi may be the best way to get online. It can offer a faster and more reliable connection than mobile signals, which will often drop out as you travel around the continent at high speed.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"inter-content-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;\" id=\"inter-3442681288\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4633244982126279\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4633244982126279\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"7158573474\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But as with any public WiFi service there are some security risks to consider. However this doesn\u2019t mean you need to stop using them, and there are simple steps everyone can take to protect themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course the following tips aren\u2019t just for train WiFi, they also apply to the hotspots found in restaurants, bars, hotels, airports and many other locations all around the world.<\/span><\/p><div class=\"inter-content_2\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;\" id=\"inter-4281089606\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4633244982126279\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4633244982126279\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"7158573474\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>What\u2019s the problem with public WiFi?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public WiFi is an attractive target for hackers because they\u2019re used by lots of people, and they\u2019re often insecure and vulnerable to a variety of attacks. The potential risks include interception of data, and the problems arising from someone getting hold of private information.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>How to protect yourself on public WiFi<\/b><\/h3>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Check you\u2019re connected to a genuine network<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When accessing a WiFi network confirm that the hotspot name (or SSID &#8211; Service Set Identifier) and password exactly match the details provided by the train operator. This will help to ensure you\u2019re connected to the correct network.<\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Don\u2019t trust open networks<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be wary when accessing a free and open WiFi connection. While train WiFi will usually require a password it\u2019s not uncommon to find free WiFi networks without passwords in locations such as coffee shops and hostels. Again you should confirm the network name is correct, and keep in mind that an open network has fewer security protections against eavesdropping.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Use secure sites and services<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When connected to WiFi try to stick to web sites and services which use encryption. This is generally a good idea anyway, but it\u2019s particularly important for WiFi because unencrypted connections can make it easier to intercept data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On websites look out for \u2018HTTPS\u2019 in the URL or a padlock symbol to confirm the site is secure, and pay attention to any warnings about insecure sites. For applications it may not be obvious if they use encryption so you may need to check the documentation or contact support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never enter a username, password, credit card or other sensitive information into a site or service which is not properly secured.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Encrypt everything with a VPN<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Virtual Private Network is an encrypted connection to a remote server which acts as a proxy between your devices and the rest of the internet. When a VPN is used all of your outgoing and incoming traffic is encrypted so if someone is watching the WiFi all they will see is garbled data linking to the VPN server.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you frequently use public WiFi it is well worth investing in a VPN connection. They don\u2019t have to cost more than a few pounds per month for unlimited usage, and most providers support smartphones and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, a VPN will impact the speed of your connection and you may find that this makes train WiFi very slow, especially if you\u2019re trying to stream video or download files.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Don\u2019t automatically connect to public WiFi<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To save us having to enter a password every time it\u2019s common for devices to save the details of a WiFi network, then automatically connect when they\u2019re detected. And if a known network is not found they may connect to the nearest open network instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is convenient when we\u2019re at home or work but it can make life easier for hackers operating fake WiFi hotspots which replicate the name of a well known public service, as devices may latch onto the connection believing it to be genuine. You might not even realise you\u2019re connected to WiFi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tell your devices to forget the details of previously used public hotspots, and disable WiFi when it\u2019s not required so you don\u2019t accidentally connect to a malicious open hotspot.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Create your own onboard WiFi<\/b><\/h6>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although mobile broadband can be a little unreliable aboard a train, you may find that it offers a connection that\u2019s good enough. And if so you can create your own WiFi network to share with friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile WiFi dongles connect to a mobile network like a regular mobile device, but they also create their own WiFi network. This is great if you\u2019re travelling in a group as you can split the cost of the connection, and it also means you can use mobile broadband with smartphones, tablets or any other WiFi compatible device. For further information on how to safely use public WiFi networks when on the move, use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.broadbandgenie.co.uk\/features\/how-safely-use-public-wifi-hotspot-networks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Broadband Genie&#8217;s guide<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inter-after-content\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;\" id=\"inter-2035954015\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4633244982126279\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4633244982126279\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8015293915\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We may enjoy free mobile roaming in Europe (for now, at least!) but when traveling by train the onboard WiFi may be the best way to get online. It can offer a faster and more reliable connection than mobile signals, which will often drop out as you travel around the continent at high speed. But&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interrail-advice"],"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":"","source_text":"Credit: Broadband Genie","source_url":""},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/interrail-wifi.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/interrailplanner.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}