Free Wi-Fi in NYC: Resist. Here’s Why …

New York City NYC free Wi-Fi
Written by Joy Ma

Now that New York City is offering up free Wi-Fi to residents and visitors, New Yorker Dino Londis has some advice for you: Forget about it! Here’s why.

aNewDomain — New York City just joined the ranks of McDonald’s, Starbucks and a ton of other mom and pops to offer free Wi-Fi.

But steer clear of freewi-fi-2 Wi-Fi in NYC, or anywhere else for that matter. It’s just too risky.

Unless you really know what you’re doing. For instance, do you know how to set up a VPN between you and your destination? Using free Wi-Fi is like giving your data to the guy with the laptop sitting next to you. And did he even buy that coffee?

Look. Free Wi-Fi is supposed to be there for convenience and to bring equal access to the Internet to all people, regardless of means.

But if paying for Internet access is within your means, the risks of free Wi-Fi connectivity quickly outpace the rewards.

Here’s a rule of thumb: Stay off of free, unsecured Wi-Fi. Period.

If you don’t have to enter a password or pay, nix it. Hackers can use such a connection to distribute malware. And if you must use free Wi-Fi, turn it off when you don’t need it. Why give a hacker access to your data, ever?

For aNewDomain, I’m Dino Londis.

Cover image: AliveAfter35.com, All Rights Reserved