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Public Wi-Fi handy but can come with serious concerns

Photo by Janelle Patterson Wei Sheng, 56, of Marietta, uses the free Wi-Fi at the Washington County Public Library to check emails.

MARIETTA — Whether it’s for checking email, Facebook or uploading a document for colleagues, internet connectivity is a part of life these days.

“It’s almost assumed that coffee shops are co-work spaces,” said Bret Allphin, 39, of Marietta. “But when I think about public Wi-Fi I’m thinking in the courthouse or a park, and I don’t expect it.”

Public Wi-Fi is often available in spaces like Jeremiah’s Coffeehouse on Front Street, Qdoba or the Town House, but where do people expect to link up? And what are the benefits versus risks?

“There are security concerns associated with public Wi-Fi,” noted Allphin, who can find himself on the road for work. “I was at a famous hotel on their Wi-Fi once and had my credit card number stolen. So now really if I need internet, I just use my data.”

The use of phone data is also the preference of other local residents, including students, unless on a secured network.

“The school generally is a secure network because you have to log in with your ID,” said Divesh Reddy, 15, of Marietta. “But otherwise I just use my data. It’s just a matter of security and you’re an easier target on public Wi-Fi.”

Wei Sheng, 56, of Marietta, said he’s not as worried about that risk though, because of what he uses the public Wi-Fi for at the Washington County Public Library.

“I use it for mostly email, plus then I can get videos at the library and it gets me out of the house which can be more productive,” said Sheng. “Even Wi-Fi in restaurants I’ll use. I’m not really worried about hacking but that depends on what you’re doing. If I’m doing anything personal or sensitive I’ll use my phone where that doesn’t rely on the public Wi-Fi.”

All three said they don’t expect to have public Wi-Fi at recreational spaces like parks, gyms or community pools, though the service would be nice.

“If you’re in a place where you want to exercise you’re less likely to be bringing a laptop, unless you’re there waiting for your kid to finish gymnastics or something,” said Sheng.

Marietta Hardware and Software Administrator Scott Steinel said one concern local businesses should guard against if offering the service is what avenues outside individuals have to internal servers.

“Right now we do not have wireless access to any city infrastructure because it’s too easy to break into wireless access,” said Steinel. “If that’s a service the public would want, it would need to be paid for and would need to be its own separate bandwidth.”

Steinel mentioned that the city used to get complaints about not having Wi-Fi at the aquatic center, but said those requests have died down in recent summers.

“What you need to understand is it could be done, but there’s the cost of applying web filters and firewalls, and do we offer it and then the tech support if someone can’t get on,” said Steinel.

One location that focuses that public service within its walls and operating hours is the Washington County Public Library.

“On your device, you can access WCPL Public and a window will open outlining the terms of use,” said Clay Paschal, working at the information desk Friday. “You have to click OK on the terms and then that’s also you agreeing that if we catch you violating that, looking at something inappropriate, we can ask you to stop or take you off of the service.”

But Paschal said he hasn’t had many instances of misuse.

“Really we see the patronage pick up after the middle school lets out until around 6 p.m.,” said Paschal. “It’s a service they really use after school.”

One business that utilizes the method of separate internet connections for public versus private operations is that of Baker & Baker Jewelers.

“A lot of people come in after looking at our selection online and they bring their phones,” said Charla Hall, manager. “But we’re serving our customers on the first of three floors and we’re squished between two other brick and concrete buildings. So reception for both Verizon and AT&T is not great.”

So with the goal of customer service, the jewelry store keeps a tight firewall on the systems which operate charges and customer data, and a separate signal for public use in the store.

“You still have to ask us for the password, but it’s all about the customer experience,” said Hall. “We’ll get brother and sister pairs coming in to look for something for their mom and want to Facetime her, or companies looking for an employee gift and want to Facetime approval for an Alex & Ani piece.”

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Tips for Security on Public Wi-Fi

* Don’t access personal bank accounts, or sensitive personal data, on public networks.

* Don’t leave your laptop, tablet or smartphone unattended in a public place.

* Don’t shop online when using public Wi-Fi. Though shopping doesn’t seem like it involves sensitive data, making purchases online requires personal information that could include bank account and retailer login credentials.

* Do turn off automatic connectivity.

* Do monitor your Bluetooth connectivity. Leaving Bluetooth on while in public places can allow a hacker to gain access to your devices. Keep this function on your phone and other devices locked down when you leave your home, office or similar secured area.

* Do think about using a virtual private network (VPN) solution to ensure your privacy and anonymity are protected when you use public Wi-Fi.

Source: Norton Security

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