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Connecting automatically
Let’s start with the basics—connecting at all. “It’s a huge security risk to connect to and use an open Wi-Fi network,” says Weiqing Sun, PhD, cybersecurity expert and associate professor of computer science and engineering technology at The University of Toledo College of Engineering.
“What’s worse is that the users are not aware when the public Wi-Fi network is already connected and being used.”
That’s because most phones connect automatically. But that opens you up to hackers and scammers everywhere you go. Instead, Sun says users should check their device settings and disable automatic connections.