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c/cybersecurity-tips•nancy_king29nancy_king29•29d agoMost Upvoted

Serious question on WiFi security at coffee shops

I was at a Starbucks in downtown Austin yesterday. Noticed the free WiFi had no password at all. Just click and connect. That feels risky for people doing banking or work. Doesn't any coffee shop with open WiFi need a basic login page at least?
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4 Comments
iris_schmidt
iris_schmidt29d ago
Used to roll my eyes at VPNs, now I see the point.
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iris_schmidt
iris_schmidt29d ago
Totally get that. Took me a while to come around too.
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angela_morgan
angela_morgan28d ago
Yeah @iris_schmidt, I was the same way. I used to think "what's the big deal, it's just coffee shop internet" until I watched a buddy pull up someone's bank info on open WiFi just to prove a point. That was the moment for me. Now I won't even check my email on a network without a VPN or at least a basic login screen.
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thomasgonzalez
thomasgonzalez6d ago
The whole "basic login screen" thing is interesting because people treat that like it means anything. Anyone can set up a fake Starbucks login page in five minutes and now you think you're safe just because you clicked "accept". How is typing your name into a random box any different than connecting to open wifi?
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