Risks Of Using Public Wifi & How To Stay Safe While Traveling

TTT 54 Wifi
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Meggan: Hey everyone and welcome back to Travel Tip Tuesday with the Travel Mug Podcast. We're so happy that you're here. How are you today, Jenn?

Jenn: I am good. How are you?

Meggan: Excellent, thank you. This week we wanted to take a bit of time and talk about using public or free wifi when you are traveling.

So paying for data from your cell phone carrier, esp. Especially if you are from Canada when traveling, it can be costly. We've learned this many a time, we still do it, but we've learned that it's certainly costly and the idea of like buying a local sim card or using an e sim card.

When abroad really sometimes isn't in everyone's comfort zone. They don't know what to do. How do I get it? How does it work? So therefore, a lot of people do end up relying on public wifi. Wifi of course can be super important when we're traveling, as we know in this modern world anyway, but when you're traveling, you may need it to find directions, get your check-in information for flights or hotels or even just to see what to do in the area that you're in. Now, public wifi has its uses of course, and it isn't all bad, but it is something you need to be leery of at the very least. And what we recommend using it for is for basics. So like the things I mentioned above.

Essentially looking stuff up, literally on the internet, doing some type of research or, you know, checking an email if you don't need to log in. But what we don't recommend is using public wifi or free wifi at a restaurant. As an example and entering any types of passwords or logging into your online banking in particular.

It is sad to say, but hackers and people looking to steal your information are virtually everywhere. I always think if hackers put their skills to like legitimate use, they could really accomplish so much for the greater good. But I digress. Just maybe put that energy elsewhere. It's all I'm asking, you know? So while it can be very useful and help in a pinch use public or free wifi sparingly and for basic searches, like I mentioned, I would even say this could include hotel wifi as well. Use it of course, and I've done so in the past, but just be really careful, I guess, the message for today.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: So, Jenn, when you guys are traveling, do you usually travel when outside of Canada connecting to the internet, or what do you guys choose to do?

Jenn: Usually I use data and wifi, but I, I have a lot of data on my package, so I, I usually use that quite a bit, although it does suck paying the daily fee. So lately we have been doing that. I've definitely, definitely used hotel wifi , like a hundred percent and definitely like always good to be careful about logging into things and especially online banking of course. I do wanna share just a little tip. So I use something called LastPass. So it does have a free version. I have the paid version. I use it for my work, but I also use it for my personal passwords as well. So essentially it's a password manager. It does help you create unique passwords that are just literally a random jumble of letters, numbers, symbols so that all of your passwords are different,

And then it also monitors your passwords too, in case they have been compromised online, it will alert you and then you can go in and change that password. So just something to think about even when you're not traveling.

Meggan: Yeah, no, I have that as well. And then Peter uses something called Bit Warden, which is very similar So it's a really great idea and you can that on your cell phone or your obvious laptop or whatever. Well thank you for sharing that. I think that is a really useful tip. This has been really short and sweet, but we did think it was an important topic.

To cover for safety reasons. Again, not saying not to use it. Simply saying to be careful and just use it for basic searches if possible. So thank you for tuning in as always, and we hope that our biweekly tips are useful for you all. If you do enjoy the show, we would love for you to leave us a review on either Apple or Spotify, maybe support the show through Buy Me a Coffee.

The link is in our show notes. And or share the show with a travel loving pal. As always, you can find us on Facebook or Instagram at Travel Mug Podcast or a website travel mug podcast.com. Interact with us. We'd love to hear from you. until next time, take care and bye.

Jenn: bye!