Using a public Wi-Fi network is no longer as risky as it was a decade ago, as the mass adoption of HTTPS has made it more difficult to snooping in network communications.
This is the last message of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which explains that the advice that existed to avoid using public Wi-Fi and getting stuck in password networks is no longer valid these days.
“This advice came from the early days of the Internet, when most communications were not encrypted. Back then, if someone could look into your network communications, they could read your email. They could also steal your passwords or cookies connections to impersonate you on your favorite sites.”
But the rapid adoption of HTTPS has solved this shortcoming of public Wi-Fi networks, according to the EFF. 92% of websites in the United States today use protocol HTTPS, its use is constantly increasing in all other countries as well.
However, the EFF Foundation explains that HTTPS does not necessarily protect all of your data, as some information is still exposed when you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot trying to spy on you.
Information such as the domain name you open on browser size of files you download or upload are available to someone monitoring your communications, but on the other hand, login names, passwords and messages are fully protected.
"They could see this metadata, as the ISP could see it when you browse your home. "If it is not a risk for you, then you should not worry about using public Wi-Fi," says the EFF.
