PC help: Hotspot security

Q Having recently bought a new notebook computer, I have been taking it out and about and I often use Wifi hotspots when I am outside.

It’s generally pretty easy to connect and the connection speeds are fairly good. However, I notice there is no encryption on the wireless network connection.

In Computeractive, the advice is always to connect only to networks that have encryption enabled. So is it secure to use these hotspots?
Simon Teasdale

A It’s certainly true that when setting up a home network, it should always be set up with the highest level of security available, depending on what devices you are using. The current highest form of security uses a system called WPA2, with an encryption method called AES.

You might think that because there is no encryption on your connection to a hotspot there is no security and your data is available for all to see, but it’s not as bad as that, because the security takes place elsewhere.

If you were using the older system WEP, everyone on the network would have the same key and be able to see other users’ data. Instead, the hotspot uses a technique known as gateway security with a technology called SSL (Secure Socket Layers) to ensure that your internet traffic is secure.

Also, secure websites such as banks and online shops encrypt data, and computers on the wireless network are prevented from directly connecting to other computers on the network. That means it’s hard for a hacker to get in to your PC and access the data on it.

It is, of course, worth running your firewall software as normal, as you would on any internet connection. That will stop most threats. Despite that, we’d think twice before doing any internet banking on an open wireless connection – it’s hard to hack into, but not entirely impossible.