Are you going to the Summer Olympics in Rio? Are you planning to use the free WiFi networks available at your hotel or in a cafe or restaurant somewhere? Watch out!
As you might know it is quite easy to steal your confidential information as you use free open WiFi networks here and there. People with some skills can take control of your phone or simply steal passwords, credit card numbers and similar data. This is especially true if you just stand on the street and look for open WiFi networks that you can use. Often as we travel we end up desperate for free WiFi, and thus we connect to anything that might seem like a chance to get some free Internet. Do not do that! You never what is on the other side, so only connect to WiFi networks that you actually know the origin of.
But it is not enough to know the origin of the WiFi network
Let us say that you enter into a Starbucks cafe ready to drink some coffee, update your Facebook status and check your bank account information. You need a password to get access to their free WiFi, which you get as you buy your coffee. Now let us tell you a few things:
- Even though you need a password to access the WiFi, doesn’t mean the connection is encrypted! An an unencrypted network is an easy prey for any predator!
- If a network is encrypted doesn’t guarantee your safety either, but it is still hundred times better than an unencrypted network.
What can you do then to secure your Internet connection while in Rio watching the Summer Olympics?
If you want to secure your Internet connection so that you can surf securely everywhere, both using open and closed networks, encrypted and unencrypted network, then encrypting your connection (even more) using a VPN connection is the solution. You can use different VPN products, but some of them have functions that will force your Internet movements to run through the VPN connection, simply to make sure that all your online movements are encrypted.
There are also different kinds of encryption you can use as you connect to a VPN server. The PPTP protocol is the simplest of all the VPN protocols and has a lower level of encryption, but still way better than nothing. This is often used for the purpose of getting an IP address in another nation to bypass geo-blocks (where speed is the most important and the level of encryption is low). If you are eager to have a higher level of security then the L2TP or the OpenVPN protocols are way better. You can read more about the different VPN protocols here.
For more information about different VPN providers read about them in our VPN reviews section.
Have a wonderful stay in Rio
We wish you a fantastic stay in Rio, and hope that you will travel home with only good memories. If you want more information on the Summer Olympics and how you can follow the Rio Olympics online, just press the link.
