We couldn’t agree more. In fact, I have been stating this fact since we launched PRIVATE WiFi nearly five years ago.  This is an important topic because hotel travelers rank WiFi access at hotels as the number one amenity that they look for when booking hotel rooms.

Why Hotel WiFi is Dangerous

The FTC’s announcement is important because many travelers assume that using a WiFi network at a hotel is the same as logging into their network at home. That’s a dangerous view, because in actuality the risks in accessing a WiFi network at a hotel are exponentially greater than those experienced at home or in an enterprise setting.

Here’s the unvarnished truth about hotel WiFi networks: they are completely unsecured. Here’s another fun fact: when hotel WiFi networks get hacked, they don’t usually find out until months after.

There are two kinds of risks you should be aware regarding hotel WiFi networks:

• All public WiFi networks are inherently insecure. Nothing new here, as I have been saying this for years, but it bears repeating: if a WiFi network is public, that means anything you do online can be tracked and captured. And this includes almost all hotel WiFi networks.
• Even fully wired Ethernet connections are unsafe. This means even if you are plugging your computer directly into the hotel’s network, you are still in danger of being hacked.

The truth is that it’s difficult to make public WiFi safe, and most hotels are trading security for a WiFi network that is easy to login to and provides them a steady revenue stream. These facts are reflected in the recent Marriott WiFi debacle, in which the hotel conglomerate intentionally blocked personal WiFi hotspots of all guests. The brand maintained that it was doing this to protect guest security on WiFi networks but in reality, they were looking to protect their bottom line.

No matter which hotel you stay, or whether the purpose of your trip is business or pleasure, security on WiFi is up to you.

What the FTC Says You Should Do to Protect Yourself

The FTC offers pretty good advice on what you can do to protect yourself when accessing a hotel WiFi network. Below are some of the tips they offer:

• When you have finished using an account, be sure to log out of that account.
• Do not use the same password for all of your accounts. It could give someone who gains access to one of your accounts access to all of them.
• Many web browsers alert users who try to visit fraudulent websites or download malicious programs. Pay attention to these warnings, and keep your browser and security software up-to-date.
• If you regularly need to access online accounts through public WiFi networks, you may want to use a virtual private network (VPN).

I couldn’t agree more with that last point. Only a VPN like PRIVATE WiFi encrypts all your Internet communication from being intercepted by others, whether on a WiFi or Ethernet network.

This is a good rule to live by: never rely on hotels (or any other WiFi provider) to protect you when you use their networks.  Never assume that any network is safe, and especially don’t assume that just because you paid for access to it.

No one else is looking out for your security when you use WiFi networks. You need to protect yourself.

This day of awareness and education gets more important every year because, for better or worse, the Internet is a part of our everyday lives; it’s become commonplace to upload selfies to Instagram, tweet our every thought, and check-in at our local coffee shop everyday.

But what exactly can be done to really ensure our online privacy and security? That is where Safer Internet Day comes in. Created in Europe 11 years ago, this is SID’s second year with a U.S.-based organization at the helm. Nonprofit ConnectSafely.org was appointed as the first U.S. host last year and is holding a livestreamed event in Menlo Park this year.

What’s In Store for SID 2015

Larry Magid, the co-director of Connect Safely, says the event is a reminder for people to be safer in a positive way. “Safety isn’t just the absence of danger but the presence of positive action and experiences,” explains Magid.

The tagline for this year’s Safer Internet Day is “Actions & Activism Toward a Better Net & World.” The event will be celebrated in over 100 countries around the world.

Many well-known speakers will give talks at SID 2015, including California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and National PTA President Otha Thornton.

The event will also include three panels discussing the following topics: “Beyond Bullying: Dealing with Trolling and Social Cruelty”, “Using Technology to Effect Social Change,” and “Wrapping It All Up: A Conversation with Industry Leaders.”

Safer Internet Day is a great chance for all of us to think about things we already do -- and things we could start doing -- to safeguard our digital world.

You can watch the livestream of the event in Menlo Park, and keep up by using hashtag #SIDUS2015 and connect with the organizers directly by following @connectsafely and @larrymagid.

One solution to this dilemma has been for companies to establish a BYOD (bring your own device) policy that allows employees to use their own mobile phones and tablets while doing work remotely.

But while BYOD has allowed more employee freedom in terms of how and where they get work done, it’s also created huge security challenges.

Security Pitfalls and Unknowns of BYOD

Many companies do not even know what or how their BYOD users are accessing company data, and so do not have an accurate picture of what risks they are up against. According to Lookout’s Enterprise Mobile Threats Report for 2014, “many organizations do not yet understand the extent of their mobile risk profile because they lack deep visibility into the security status of mobile devices connecting to their networks and databases.”

Lookout’s report goes on to mention that the risks to the company could come from any connected device: “any one device could harbor a serious threat, which underscores the need for strong mobile threat protection across all devices that touch an organization.”

The Alarming Truth about Public WiFi and Employee Behavior

Mobile employees are connecting to public WiFi.  According to GFI Software, 95.6% of train, bus or subway commuters in the U.S. put company data at risk over free public WiFi. And they aren’t taking precautions. A study done by Kaspersky Labs, revealed that 60% of public WiFi users do not take appropriate precautions when accessing public WiFi, and a large percentage do not even password protect their device.

Recently, at a security conference in Sweden, a young security expert named Gustav Nipe  set up a rogue access point to illustrate workers’ lax security standards when it comes to WiFi. Over 100 computer security experts and journalists connected to it the network. In a whitehat demonstration, Nipe was able to collect data on all of them, and then revealed what he found to the public. This stunt demonstrates that workers should do better when it comes to securing their mobile device and protecting sensitive company information.

VPNs: The Answer to BYOD Insecurity

It’s clear that the era of BYOD is here to stay. Workers are no longer confined to an office desk and computer, and instead are able to do work from anywhere: home, their local coffee shop, and while taking public transportation. The proliferation of public wireless networks has made this possible, and while this has freed employees up to do work from nearly everywhere, it also has introduced many security challenges.

Luckily, there’s something easy for employees to use and companies to implement that can easily protect everything they do and access on their mobile devices. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) like PRIVATE WiFi protects all data going into and out of a mobile device by encrypting it, which means it prevents any hacker who may be trying to access confidential company information..

Living a mobile lifestyle does not come without risk, especially where our identities are concerned. But staying mobile secure doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider this: 94.2% of identity victims say they are still highly engaged online and via their mobile devices despite having had their personally identifiable information stolen, according to a recent study from the Identity Theft Resource Center.

So how do we stay safe with so many of us relying our mobile devices for news, information, and entertainment? There are a number of ways our devices can “betray” us to an identity thief, so it’s important to make sure we do our best to safeguard our devices and our information.

Follow these five tips:

1. Remember that your phone or tablet is just like a tiny computer and can be vulnerable to viruses and malicious software. This is especially true if you click a link from an email that is designed to steal your data. Be sure to keep your operating system in your device up to date, and install any updates from the manufacturer as they become available.

2. Password protect all your devices. It only takes a few swipes of your fingertip to keep a thief from instantly accessing everything on your phone or tablet if the device is lost or stolen. Also turn on the feature that lets you find the device remotely if it does end up missing, as this will help you not only get it back, but disable the device if you’re certain it’s gone.

3. Know how you’re connecting. It’s one thing to access online banking or your credit card’s secure website if you’re connecting at home, but try to avoid logging in from a free public hotspot. If you must connect in a public place, use a VPN like PRIVATE WiFi to ensure that all the data you send and receive on that open connection is protected from prying eyes.

4. While you’re online, make sure you know about the latest threats, scams, fraud alerts, and phishing attempts. Too many cases of identity theft are the result of user error, such as falling for requests for information or becoming a victim of phishing attempts. Websites like the Identity Theft Resource Center and many others contain up-to-date information on current issues.

5. Finally, know the permissions you’ve given to various apps on your phone or tablet. Apps need certain permissions in order to operate, and may include tracking your location, reading your data and contacts, taking pictures, or sending messages. Make sure that you trust the app developer with this information.

The use of mobile devices to conduct business and run our daily lives will only continue to grow, so make sure that you are doing all that you can to keep yourself safe in the new year.

Why?

Well here are some startling reasons: In the last 18 month, over 157 million US credit card holders have been notified of a breach.

Furthermore, the typical web surfer is tracked by 11 companies at each site they visit - resulting in over 2,500 unique tracking and data collection attempts weekly.

This is the new reality of the Internet in 2014 – and as 2015 approaches, the treat level will only increase.

This trend, coupled with the shift to more consumers using online and mobile shopping during the upcoming holiday shopping season and beyond, is simply dangerous.

According to the National Retail Federation, 56% of consumers are planning to shop online. And, as cited in a recent infographic, by PRIVATE WiFi and National Cyber Security Alliance, 52% of online shoppers used their phones to make purchases during the 2013 holiday season.

Take control with Blur

In the past, consumers had no simple way to say “NO” when asked for their personal information by mobile apps and web sites. Nor have they had much choice about being tracked. Until now.

Blur is the first all-in-one solution that protects your passwords, payments, and privacy. It gives power back to people making it simple to choose what amount of their personal information they are OK providing to any website. It doesn’t matter what they are doing -- surfing, creating a new account, or shopping -- or what device they are using -- mobile phone, laptop or tablet.

Blur's Features

• Creates and remembers strong passwords to log you in fast from any device
• Protects and fills logins, addresses, & credit cards into forms without typing
• Choose to share or to “mask” your email, phone number, & credit card anywhere
• Automatically blocks tracking by Facebook, Google, and 100’s of data collection companies and targeted ad networks
• Encrypts and syncs personal info across phones, tablets, & computers

“To share or not to share, that is now, finally, the consumer's option,” said Rob Shavell, CEO of Abine.

“Blur users surf worry-free because it’s virtually impossible for their passwords, credit cards, and other private personal information to wind up in the wrong hands.”

Shavell adds that feedback to the service indicates that users are pleased that masked emails are quick and easy. Additionally, masked credit cards let users shop online without worrying about over-charges or theft of their credit cards.

One user specifically noted that Blur is “hands down, the best service on the internet,” when tied with a good VPN like PRIVATE WiFi.

Click here to learn more about Abine and Blur.

This year PRIVATE WiFi has teamed up with the National Cyber Security Alliance to help consumers be safe online when using their mobile devices as they shop.

Check out our infographic below to learn more about the threats of holiday shopping and why the proliferation of mobile shopping is good for online commerce but potentially risky for consumers who increasingly rely on public WiFi. Then make sure to follow our five tips for cyber secure shopping.

Click here to view the full infographic

“The holiday season is a busy time for both online retailers and identity thieves alike, and we want to arm consumers with the tips they need to shop safely,” said Kent Lawson, CEO of PRIVATE WiFi. “With only a few simple changes, consumers can really protect themselves as they shop.”

“Online and mobile shoppers should protect themselves against cyber threats, scams and identity theft during the holiday season, as well as all year long,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. “But as shopping volumes increase this time of year, so do potential threats. The tips make consumers aware that it is important for them not to let their guard down.”

Feel free to repost or share the infographic including the “5 Tips for Cyber Secure Shopping.” If you want to ask our experts specific questions, join our Data Privacy Day Twitter chat from 3 to 4 p.m. ET on December 10, with participants @DataPrivacyDay and @PRIVATEWiFi, a Data Privacy Day Champion, answering questions using the hashtag #ChatDPD.

CNN aired its "Walk in the Park" segment on "The Business View with Nina Dos Santos" to showcase various hacking scenarios and the vulnerabilities of public WiFi – whether in a public park setting, hotel, airport, or similar location offering “free” WiFi.

Calling WiFi hacking “extremely easy and readily available” – like a walk in the park – the CNN report shares some eye-opening realities about Internet safety and privacy.

Ever hop onto “Central Park WiFi” (or a similar network in your city)? In this segment that hotspot has been set up by Huff to demonstrate how easy it is to steal personal data over WiFi. How far can a hacker take things? The video shows how simple it is to get information like victims’ Amazon accounts, credit cards, and emails.

Extremely Easy and Readily Available

After all, a public WiFi signal is not private. Without using a personal VPN, anything sent over a public WiFi network goes out in clear text. Anyone else on the WiFi network could easily “sniff” – or spy – using just a few simple software tools.

This is especially problematic because, as the CNN report indicates, people tend to use the same passwords across multiple websites – from email, to online banking, to social media. While two-factor authentication is a helpful weapon against online crooks, it’s simply not enough protection when someone is on a public wireless network.

As CNN (and the world) now knows, protecting your identity on a wireless network is extremely important. PRIVATE WiFi keeps all mobile devices and laptops protected against hackers on all open WiFi networks.

The Identity Theft Resource Center routinely conducts focused surveys on identity theft, asking victims who have reached out for support from the organization to participate in the voluntary research to help the industry better understand the root causes, illicit methods, and recovery experience from this type of crime.

The survey results are then compiled into a report that the ITRC shares with a wide variety of industry stakeholders to help develop a broader picture of what identity theft really entails.

On Wednesday, October 29, the ITRC and other industry organizations will celebrate the 11th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month with the release of the ITRC's most recent survey report, “Identity Theft: The Aftermath.”

The Aftermath survey polls identity theft victims who’ve reached out to the ITRC for support, and asks them some poignant questions about how being a victim has impacted their lives. Apart from the details shared about what is involved in recovering from an identity theft, survey respondents also shared personal stories of financial and personal security effects, and the impact on their sense of trust.

According to one victim and survey respondent, “I haven’t been able to get a loan to go back to school and finish my degree, which has made finding a job nearly impossible.” Identity theft is now affecting this victim’s livelihood, and leaving emotional and financial damage.

Please join us next Wednesday, when the full survey results are unveiled, at a free live event at Google headquarters in Washington, DC. The panel of experts will discuss ways in which the industry as a whole can leverage this information to better serve victims and consumers.

Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, will give the keynote, while a panel will conduct the actual report discussion. To register, please follow the link at http://goo.gl/WkP8V4.

Event Details

• Wednesday, October 29, 9:30am-11:30am
• Google - Washington, DC, 25 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC

Keynote:

Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

Panel:

• Moderator: Julie Fergerson, Chairperson ITRC Board of Directors, and SVP of Industry Solutions, Ethoca
• Adam Levin, Chairman and Co-founder of IDT911 and Credit.com, and former Director of the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs
• Jonathan J. Rusch, Deputy Chief for Strategy and Policy, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
• Steve Toporoff, FTC Attorney, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection
• Eva Velasquez, President/CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center

Can’t make it to the event but want to be involved? Join in live on Twitter and follow along with the hashtag #IDTheftImpact. We’ll be sharing statistics and facts from the findings, and the experts’ thoughts on how to move forward.

Each person affected by identity theft has long-lasting emotional repercussions, but we can all make changes to keep ourselves safer.

Because October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), and in part to raise public awareness of the dangers of identity theft, we recently chatted with author and technology guru Ben Halpert.

Although his day job is in the security and privacy fields, several years ago he launched Savvy Cyber Kids, a nonprofit to help keep children safer online. Last year Savvy Cyber Kids joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s STOP.THINK.CONNECT.. campaign's national network, forming a partnership that will promote cybersecurity awareness to children nationwide.

His organization focuses on bringing the shared message of cyber responsibility and education to preschool and elementary school educators and administrators. Parents can also use the resources he creates to make sure they are raising knowledgeable and empowered digital citizens. Ben has published three books in his “Savvy Cyber Kids at Home” series (The Family Gets a Computer, Defeat of the Cyber Bully, and Adventures Beyond the Screen).

We recently chatted with Ben about how and why he launched Savvy Cyber Kids, his thoughts on BYOD policies at schools, and lots of other topics related to keeping kids safe online.

PRIVATE WiFi: Savvy Cyber Kids is a resource for parents and teachers to start teaching cyber ethics topics to children as young as three, but why did you create it and how has it changed over the years?

Ben Halpert: I started presenting to parent groups at schools and houses of worship in 2002. After a few years of conducting theses sessions, I noticed an unfortunate commonality between them. After each event, a parent would approach me and tell me or show me what their son or daughter had posted online; it was all personal information about the family and the child in question.

I took a step back and thought there must be something we can do to help out these children that are making these online mistakes. So I started researching various teaching methods and came up with the concept of creating a curriculum to start educating the world's children starting as early as possible regarding cyber ethics concepts such as security, privacy, bully response, screen-time balance, and more.

Since the launch in 2007, I have been learning and adapting to the changing environment we live in to keep Savvy Cyber Kids relevant to today's parents, teachers, and children. Savvy Cyber Kids is a one-man shop with people I can call on for specific help as needed. I am supported by an amazing advisory board, industry colleagues, along with friends and family.

PWF: You released The Savvy Cyber Kids at Home: The Family Gets a Computer in 2010. Can you tell me how that came about? What motivated you to write the book?

BH: Once I delved into the various methods of how to teach different concepts, I decided to focus on our youngest learners. If you can teach core concepts at an early age, those concepts will more often than not be retained as a child matures.

PWF: Do you ever do readings at schools? How do you spread the message to teachers so they can teach kids in their classes about online safety?

BH: Author visits with readings are one of my favorite things to do! Some of my other favorite activities are presenting and discussing cyber topics with teachers, administrators, and parents. I am always appreciative of an introduction to a school. The best referral source I have are parents and teachers that find out about our books and services at conferences and while searching online.

PWF: Speaking of schools, what are your thoughts on BYOD policies at schools?

BH: BYOD policies at schools are the evolution of consumer-focused technology into every aspect of our lives. Teachers are integrating technology into the daily activities of their students, and for older students, BYOD makes sense. BYOD may make an IT administrator's job more difficult than a traditional lab environment, but change is a constant with technology.

PWF: How do you feel about the FCC’s planned $2B push to spread WiFi in schools and libraries across the nation?

BH: Promoting greater access to information across the nation is a great thing. However, I am hopeful there will be some thought into security and privacy requirements for a broad WiFi deployment.

PWF: Do you think schools do enough to encrypt sensitive data over wireless networks? What would be the most important thing schools could do to protect both students and their devices?

BH: All schools and districts are different. Some are staffed with experienced IT administrators that have a security background, while others struggle to get by with using basic technology tools. One issue schools have is that they are often forced into using a specific application or tool because it is mandated. Each application has its own set of security and privacy controls that must be managed. There are many applications that still use the students Social Security number as their login ID. The most important thing to focus on is protecting personal information belonging to the students and the staff. The best way to provide such protection is via proven encryption technologies coupled with strong authentication.

PWF: Do you find that it’s easier to spread the “savvy cyber kid” message to parents or kids? Who is more receptive and open to your insights?

BH: In general, kids are more receptive to the message of being a good cyber citizen, especially young children. Many parents feel overwhelmed by all the technology and the pace of change that exists. They know they need to do something, but are confused as to the "what." That is where Savvy Cyber Kids come in – there are many resources available, including a free video series at RaisingSavvyCyberKids.org. Once parents start reading the Savvy Cyber Kids books to their children, they often feel more at ease discussing privacy topics with their kids as they mature.

PWF: What are a few things that parents are doing “wrong” in front of their kids, or on behalf of their kids’ safety, when it comes to online security?

Parents need to stop over-sharing information about their children and the family as a whole. While a parent is making the decision -- perhaps ill-informed -- to share their latest vacation adventures or their child's latest growth milestone, the child has no choice in the matter. Parents may be creating privacy and security issues for their children later in life.

According to Marcio Avillez, vice president of network services at a company called iPass, organizations ranging from platform players to independent coffee shops see opportunities in making WiFi available, while major telecoms operators are investing heavily in WiFi rollouts.

"The proliferation of devices, especially tablets, the majority of which are WiFi only, has increased users' appetites for WiFi. These devices are being used way beyond typical business travel locations like hotels and airports," said Avillez.

That's certainly an understatement, as the company recently expanded its WiFi network footprint to 13 million hotspots across 120 countries. This includes more than 20 airlines (up from nine airlines just one year ago) and over 800 passenger trains, such as ICE in Germany, DSB in Denmark, and Virgin Trains in the United Kingdom.

In a world seemingly saturated in WiFi, the notion of autoconnecting to these networks might seem appealing. However, whether using a laptop or mobile device, security threats remain a constant.

Laptops At Risk

The next version of Windows, Windows 9, is rumored to have a feature called WiFi Sense, which automatically logs consumers into “secure” public WiFi networks that they had previously accessed.

While it’s less of a nuisance to not have to go through the normal login process every time, people may forget they are logging into a public WiFi hotspot.

Don’t be fooled: it may seem secure because a password is required, but every person on the same WiFi hotspot can see what everyone else is doing with the right equipment.

What About Mobile?

In addition, big mobile phone providers like AT&T and Comcast have spent millions of dollars setting up an entire network of free WiFi hotspots from coast to coast. For example, AT&T has set up WiFi hotspots in many McDonalds and Starbucks locations. But did you know that the company created a setting in their mobile phones that connects those phones to all “attwifi” hotspots automatically?

This means that as owners of AT&T phones pass one of the many thousands of free available WiFi hotspots, their mobile phone will automatically connect and they won’t even know. And that’s a problem!

Here’s why this is dangerous: all public WiFi hotspots are completely unsecure, which means that any WiFi hacker on the same AT&T network with simple software could look at anything someone is doing online: checking email, IM’ing with a friend, or logging into social media or even banking websites.

Not only that, but a cybercriminal could create a fake network with the same name (“attwifi”) which the phone would automatically log into without you even knowing it. The WiFi hacker could perform a man-in-the-middle attack, where they route all information through his own computer, steal sensitive personal or financial details, and then send the victim on to the Internet. This is certainly worrisome.

Even AT&T is worried; its website’s Wireless Support section states, “Unsecured public Wi-Fi connections open you up to several security risks. It gives hackers an opportunity to capture your personal or private information that you're sending to and from the Internet via your tablet, smartphone, or laptop - without you even knowing.”

Further, AT&T recommends the use of a personal Virtual Private Network (VPN) for the most secure connection: “This protects your device just as if it were connected to a secure network,” according to AT&T.

Although users can disable the autoconnect feature by turning it off on their iPhones or Android phones, the best approach is for consumers to install a VPN like PRIVATE WiFi on all their mobile devices. That way, even if they accidentally connect to unsafe WiFi hotspots, their data will always be encrypted and safe from cybercriminals.

WiFi hotspots are everywhere, and are increasing in number every day, but you can keep yourself safe at all times by using a VPN, just as AT&T and so many others wisely recommend. Remember, hackers can't steal what hackers can't see!