If you’re like many iPhone users, you aren’t thinking much (or at all) about your Wifi settings. They’re simply there — and you don’t fuss much with them. The problem with not adjusting your Wifi settings is that they can leave you exposed to privacy issues. Security experts agree: this is the one Wifi setting you have to stop using immediately.
Disable Auto-Join
Think of logging onto a public WiFi network that way you would leaving your front door open every time you go out, suggests Tech Expert Patricio Paucar, the co-founder of Navi. “If a network isn’t secure, other people can see what you see and send; they can see everything on your device including your emails, texts, contacts, photos, usernames and passwords,” Paucar says.
The first setting Paucar says you should change is “Auto-Join.” “On iPhones, Navigate to Settings > Wi-Fi,” Paucar says. “You’ll have to change this setting for each public network saved on your phone or tablet. Click on a network. The first option is “Auto-Join.” Toggle it off. That’s a great start in preventing someone from stealing your identity, but still, just a start.”
Jennifer Denehy, co-founder and marketing director at PeopleSearchFaster, agrees that disabling Auto Connect is your WiFi settings is one way to overcome online threats.
“When you turn on this Auto Connect option, the device connects with the unknown public Wi-Fi servers automatically,” Denehy says. “The public Wi-Fi serves as the crucial zone for hackers to take control of your device. Such unauthorized connections lead to security issues, and your gadget is highly prone to hacking. Switch off this option to enhance the security features in the Wi-Fi connectivity.”
According to Denehy, hackers sniff the public Wi-Fi servers, and your device becomes the quick victim due to this Auto Connect setting in the Wi-Fi module. “If you analyze the free hotspots, they were created by hackers to target devices with similar settings,” Denehy says. “It is high time to turn off the toggle switch and disable this option as soon as possible for security reasons.”
Take this step now to boost your online privacy and security.
