1. Unsecured Networks

Public Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t always properly secured. Never join an unknown open network just because it’s available to anyone. If you don’t know who is providing a Wi-Fi connection, you shouldn’t be using it; end of story. Unsecured networks are far more vulnerable to an attack, and you could be walking right into a hacker’s trap.

Read More: What a Hacker Sees When You Use Unsecured Wi-Fi

2. Data Interception

Data interception is a serious risk if you’re using public Wi-Fi, or an older WLAN format like TKIP. The most common form of data interception is known as Man-in-the-Middle (MiM). During MiM, a hacker is latching onto data packages as they travel between two Wi-Fi users. This attack is also sometimes referred to as “eavesdropping.”

3. Denial of Service (DoS)

WLAN Internet connections are often targeted by Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. A DoS attack occurs when a malicious party floods an Internet network with unwanted traffic. This surge in traffic levels often makes the network unresponsive to legitimate users, thus preventing them from establishing an online connection.

4. Wireless Phishing

Hackers are always developing more advanced methods to steal personal information, including wireless phishing. One type of wireless phishing attack is carried out by infecting a user’s browser cache. If a hacker successfully breaches a web session in-progress, they can redirect that user to phishing websites, even after the user leaves the Wi-Fi hotspot.

5. Rogue Access Points

Thankfully, rogue access points aren’t nearly as common as they used to be. Still, these unauthorized APs do pose a security threat. What is a rogue AP? It’s an access point that’s installed into a Wi-Fi network. Usually, these APs are meant to give clients better accessibility to the Internet, but the wireless router has been poorly configured. A vulnerable router is prime bait for hackers to break into.

Read More: 5 Do’s and Don’t’s for Installing Apps on Your Android

Android Network Configuration Made Easy

First, check your Wi-Fi connection. On your homescreen, tap on the “Apps” icon.  Next, tap “Settings” > “Data Usage. Then, check the “Show Wi-Fi Usage” box, followed by the “Wi-Fi” tab. You should now have a good sense of which networks you’ve been connected to, whether you’re connected to one now, and which ones have been saved on your device.

For those who use Android Nougat, you may have been forced to reconfigure your network settings more than once in the past few months, weeks, or even days. Regardless of whether you’re using 2G, 3G, or 4G (also commonly known as LTE), the process to troubleshoot and reset these settings is the same. It’s also helpful to know that 3G uses less data. So, although it’s slower, often you can (and perhaps should, depending on the context) switch to a 3G setting in order to conserve some of your data usage.

First, choose “Settings” from your “Apps.” Tap on “More” > “Mobile Networks” > “Preferred Network Type.” Here, you can choose between 4G, 3G, or 2G. Although 4G is recommended, as stated above, it can use more of your data more quickly in a given time frame. Most apps and mobile services operate on both 4G and 3G without problems.

You can also change the DNS settings on your Android. As a general rule, you are probably already using the DNS settings from your Internet provider, but you can choose a third-party server to increase speed, strengthen security settings, or bypass censorship filters. To do so, follow these steps:

Open “Settings,” then click “Wi-Fi.” Hold down on your current network until two options appear, then choose “Modify Network” > “Show Advanced Options.” Then, change “IP Settings” to “Static.” Add the new DNS servers to the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields. Then, click “Save,” disconnect from the server, and then reconnect to finish off your reconfiguration.

Note that changing your DNS server is best as a short-term option. In the long-term, setting your Wi-Fi connection to “static” will interfere with your phone’s DHCP allocation, which ultimately might create more problems.

Although a password protected Wi-Fi network on an airplane is much safer to use, it still doesn’t protect your device against hacking opportunities. Even though the websites you visit might be encrypted, that doesn’t mean that your data is safe against hacking on public Wi-Fi. A hacker on your flight could still spy on your activities and access your personal information.

Read More: How to Encrypt the Data on Your Android Phone

Keep in mind that it’s never a good idea to access your online banking app or use your credit card to purchase items on public Wi-Fi. It’s even more risky to access your email, since your email is home to a lot of sensitive and personal information. After all, you pay a lot of money for limited Wi-Fi access on airplanes, so you want your data to be safe, right? While the safest option of all is to avoid using public Wi-Fi, sometimes it’s unavoidable. So, how can you protect your device from hacking threats?

How to Protect Your Device with a VPN
One way to protect your device is through a Virtual Private Network, or a VPN. A VPN offers a way to encrypt your device while accessing the public network. It prevents hackers from being able to read or access your data. A VPN is especially important to use if you want to do any business-related work on public Wi-Fi, such as sending e-mails or accessing work-related programs. Some safe, popular options include TunnelBear and ExpressVPN. A VPN generally costs anywhere from a few dollars per month to $10 per month. All you need to do is select the service plan that you want and download the software from their website.

If for some reason you want to use public Wi-Fi without a VPN, don’t access any of your accounts or type in any passwords. Act as if someone else can see your every move, and keep your web browsing to a minimum. Choose safe activities such as reading articles or checking out new content on your favorite food blog. Finally, make sure that you download PSafe Total and PSafe Total Windows before your flight. The apps will immediately detect any malware or security breaches on your devices.