VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are an important weapon in the Internet's arsenal for online privacy and anonymity It is especially important when using public Wi-Fi services, which often have a lower level of security than at home or work

This article discusses the main reasons why you should consider using a secure VPN when accessing public Internet services To find out which VPN you should use, see our list of the best VPN services available in 2021

These days, public Wi-Fi is an almost ubiquitous service found in airports, coffee shops, hotels, shopping malls, and other public spaces in most cities worldwide Easy to use and offering speeds fast enough for standard web browsing, these Wi-Fi services are popular with the general public because they provide free access to the Internet without having to pay roaming or data charges

However, for ease of access, these public Wi-Fi services are rarely sophisticated in terms of security protocols Unlike home and business Wi-Fi setups, public Wi-Fi rarely requires passwords, and much of the network is unencrypted And if it is easy for the average citizen to log on, it is likely to be even easier for hackers to operate

Hackers with malicious intent have been known to target public Wi-Fi hotspots and access users' personal information A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack occurs when hackers successfully intercept data exchanged between a user's device and a public server

Another common technique is to set up a rogue hotspot posing as a legitimate public service Logging into a hacker's rogue network risks your information being discovered and used by criminal intenders

For this reason, users should never access sensitive apps or documents (eg, online banking or email accounts) when using public Wi-Fi services It is also wise to make sure that your smartphone is not set to automatically connect to public networks and only manually connect to networks that you know and trust

Hackers aren't the only ones trying to steal your vital information; commercial entities that provide Wi-Fi service can and do obtain as much information as possible while you are using their service

This could include everything from your IP address to your browsing history and even your location, and they can use this information to optimize their marketing and customer communications Unlike hackers, however, it is perfectly legal for them to do so, and they usually obtain explicit consent from the user after accepting the terms of use

Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch The same goes for free Wi-Fi; what you pay for is usually your data

The good news is that you don't have to refrain from using public Wi-Fi In addition to the above steps of being more vigilant about the web pages and apps you use to log into public networks, you can consider using a VPN to increase security and protect your identity

VPNs encrypt all data sent from your device to the server, keeping everything you do on public Wi-Fi completely private and protected from the prying eyes of criminals and commercial operators

I hope this article has opened your eyes to the dangers of using public Wi-Fi services We do not mean to scare you away from using a convenient service, but you should be aware of the risks and dangers, especially the prevalence of malicious operators who seek to combine vulnerable services with naive users

Becoming more savvy about what services you access on public networks is one way to reduce your risk, but a more effective way is to employ the services of a good VPN For additional benefits of using a VPN, read our guide to using other VPNs Also see our in-depth reviews of two VPNs, ExpressVPN and NordVPN