Public wi fi : am I in danger ?

I really don't know. Probably not. But keep an eye on things for a few days just to be sure you don't notice anything odd happening with your security. On your home network be sure you have enabled WPA2 on your router and use a strong password to access your network.

Any time you use a public unprotected Wi-Fi connection you are at risk. Install a VPN on your computer and enable it before using public Wi-Fi locations. There are hundreds of them. A pretty good one perfect for casual travelers is HotSpot Shield.

Allan,

Firewalls cannot protect a computer from unsecured Wi-Fis. What is needed is a VPN. This is not to say it isn't good to have a firewall but that the type of protection most often needed on unsecured Wi-Fi connections is a VPN. VPNs anonymize your computer making it impossible for hackers to gain access via IP connections.

Please feel free to continue. You may recommend a different VPN. There are so many that I only bother with one that is easy to use. I use TorGuard but it isn't exactly the easiest to set up. I don't bother with the firewall, personally. I figure if you can't find out what my IP is, then you aren't likely going to get into my computer even without a firewall.

Mostly, I use a VPN on my iPhone even though I have one installed on my laptop. I only use the laptop when traveling. The iPhone I take everywhere around town.

After all, Allan, you know how much secret information I have from all my CIA buddies. 😁😝

In actual fact, I am still in the research mode when it comes to a VPN. Until recently I did so little work where I needed one that I have not decided on one yet.

Plus prior to my retirement, I had access to a VPN provided by my employer. So that one covered my needs. Now that I retired and starting to travel more, I am interested in finding a replacement.

Thanks for the suggestion on TorGuard. I will add that to me list.

I hope you are enjoying your retirement, Allan, and that you have continued good health to get the most out of it. 2018 will be my 18th year of retirement. We don't do much travel anymore. We spend five months a year in Vancouver and seven months here in Florida. We do visit Chicago from time to time because that is where our daughter, her husband, and granddaughter reside. That's enough travel for me. But then I'm probably a bit older than you, so my condition is not that great.

I find retirement has been great. I hope you will, too. Afterall you wait long enough for it to come along. 😀

It has been 10 years since I retired. After my retirement I joined a voluntary group with the Catholic Church Called Serra International. I recently was voted a member of the board for the US which is where most of my traveling is with.

I learned a long time ago that I must stay busy. I managed to work continuously from 1958 until 2007. So I figure wh

I won't hold that against you, Allan. 😁😁😁

I turned 16 in 1958 but had been working since I was 10 (delivering a paper route.) I've always hated work so I retired as soon as I could afford it when I was 58. When I turned 15 I worked full-time in summers for minimum wage. I was a trades worker - painting, plumbing, carpentry, and electrician. After college and a stint in the Army during Viet Nam, I became a real estate broker selling and leasing commercial property. Later a Ph.D. in finance and real estate. Then a career of almost 30 years as a college professor.

Today my only volunteer work is here on the Apple forums where I have been the past 18 years except for my 4-month departure because of LD.

Enable the Firewall, using OS X: About the application firewall - Apple Support

Hi Kappy,

I had gone off to locate a link for a VPN to provide the other half of the protection. By the time I got back, you had already provided the information so I felt that was enough.