Keep Your Windows Computer Secure on Public Wireless Hotspots

Here we look at keeping your box secure at public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Public Wi-Fi hotspots seem to be available in more locations than ever before.

press Start then Control Panel, see to it View by large icons is selected then click Windows Firewall.

Then punch the Change advanced sharing parameters hyperlink.

For example here we want to connect to the local coffee shop Wi-Fi.

double-check you choose Public online grid…

This will automatically turn off File Sharing, online grid Discovery, and Public Folder Sharing.

For example you could set your Gmail and other Google services to always use https when connecting.

Again, verify you click to Save tweaks at the bottom of the page.

It will work for any online window you’re using.

Another handy Firefox addon from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) is HTTPS Everywhere which we’vepreviously covered.

This allows you to route your data traffic though a separate and secure web connection.

ProXPN is an easy to use VPN client.

you gotta create an account first, then download and roll out the client.

They offer a free and premium version.

We found that our connection could be slow at times using the free version, especially on multimedia sites.

The biggest caveat is it will display ads and take a stab at install crapware on your machine.

verify to uncheck any crapware it tries to offer you.

While it will annoy you with ads, it is free and easy to use.

This can be hard to remember, and annoying if you’re constantly doing research online while working.

go for the Wireless icon on the Taskbar right-hit the connection you’re connected to and Disconnect.

However, some vital patches might be released before then so ensure you’re receiving Automatic Updates.

Install HTTPS Everywhere

Hotspot Shield

ProXPN

Install Microsoft Security Essentials