Tips for Using Wi-Fi Securely

By RIVA RICHMOND
NYT

When you use a Wi-Fi connection to access the Internet, the data you transmit flies through the air. This allows us to remain blissfully connected while wandering through the house with a laptop, in a hotel with a tablet or in a departure lounge with a smartphone, but it also comes with privacy and security risks.

While you surf, someone with the right software and equipment could snatch your private information from the airwaves, potentially reading e-mails to your boss or collecting the pictures you post to Facebook.

And if left open, a stranger could potentially use your home Wi-Fi network to commit crimes. For instance, in March, an unsuspecting homeowner in Buffalo woke up to F.B.I. agents wielding assault weapons. They were looking for a child pornographer, who lived next door and had been using his neighbor’s network.

But you can use Wi-Fi securely. Here are tips from the industry group Wi-Fi Alliance on how to keep your data private and your home network creep-free.

(More here.)