My local police department issued this warning today:

Today’s technology can be extremely useful in our everyday activities, but also dangerous if not done so with caution. Below are some things to remember before you allow you your smart phone, tablet, lap top, or any other device to connect to a publicly shared Wi-Fi network.

  1. Never utilize your online bank or credit card accounts, or shop online when connected to public Wi-Fi.
  2. Be aware that criminals may set up similar network names to a restaurant, café or coffee shop to get you to us their network. When this is done, they can gain access to your personal information.
  3. Make sure your smart phone is not set up to automatically connect to surrounding Wi-Fi networks.

You might ask the difference between public Wi-Fi and the one in your home.  Well, the simple answer is encryption.  Everything you send via a public Wi-Fi signal can be intercepted by someone else on that same network.  Since the transmission is not encrypted that person can read everything you send.  That includes passwords, bank numbers and private emails.

Encryption acts similarly to the locks on the doors in your home.  The locks keep people out unless they have the right key to translate the tumbler in the door.  Similarly, encryption locks your message so that someone without the proper decryption codes cannot understand what you have sent.  No locks mean that anyone can walk into your home;  no encryption means that everyone can read your post. The better the locks, the less likely that undesirable people will come in your home;  the better the encryption, the less undesirable people can read your email.