Internet Safety Concerns for Open WiFi Networks

You should consider the Internet safety issues and security concerns of leaving a wifi network open.  It’s the perfect means for getting your identity stolen. Not only that, you can’t control what others do on your connection. You might think you’re being a good neighbor by letting others have access to your wireless connection, but it’s too risky.

Unauthorized Downloads

Whoever has access to your wifi network can download whatever they want. It can make life miserable for you in a number of ways:

• Your provider may only allow certain number of downloads per day, and you’ll be booted off the Internet if your neighbor downloads too many times or too many big files
• Your connection will slow down
• You may have the FBI or CIA agent at your door asking you questions about illegal downloads that you don’t know anything about

Some people may think that the probability is low that a neighbor would use their connection to commit or prepare to commit a crime. That might be true, but there’s still a possibility, and it’s not worth the risk of ending up in jail or paying lawyer fees to defend yourself.

Inappropriate Content

One reason why your neighbors might use your wifi networks is to view inappropriate content. They might even have their own Internet access, but they wouldn’t dare visit the same web pages using their own service. Those websites are on your network now, and the websites show up under your Internet access, not theirs. You may not want anything to do with those websites, and if you have children who use the Internet, safety is a major concern, because they could accidentally load a page with inappropriate content.

Risk of Bank Cards and Account Information Being Stolen

Others connected to your wifi network may see your debit card numbers when you make a purchase online. Once that information falls into the wrong hands, there will be several unauthorized purchases on your bank cards that you may or may not be able to dispute. It depends on the type of card used, and it’s a hassle to go through the process of fighting the charges. Prevent it by closing your wifi network.

Hackers

It’s easy for hackers to use your open wifi network to hack into your computer and Internet cache to get information and files. Even inexperienced hackers can figure out how to do it. No one likes to think of their neighbors as hackers, but they or their guests could cause you harm by hacking your files. There’s also those who don’t even live in your apartment building, hacking your computer from a vehicle close by.

You probably don’t want to lose your wifi network, but you risk doing that by leaving it open. Most, if not all, Internet Service Provider (ISP) End User Agreements prohibit the practice of leaving a wifi network open because of Internet safety concerns. It’s hard for companies to enforce every agreement, and your ISP provider may never find out. However, if you promised to close the wifi network after use in exchange for services, then you’re contractually bound and you shouldn’t leave it open for Internet safety or ethical reasons.