News JVTech Here’s why you should turn off your smartphone’s Wi-Fi when you leave the house
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If connecting your smartphone to Wi-Fi can be of great service to you when you are at home, leaving this means of connecting permanently switched on can pose security problems. Here’s why you should turn it off when you’re away from home.
From the moment you own a smartphone and use it frequently for uses that consume a lot of mobile data, it is very likely that one of your recurring reflexes is to connect it to a Wi-Fi network when you have the opportunity. In this way, you do not use the data envelope contained in your mobile plan, and you reserve it for situations in which you do not have Wi-Fi available.
Almost all of us do this, and it’s normal, since this possibility is offered to us with our mobile terminals. It is a reflex that continues to exist, even at a time when 5G very often gives access to a speed as satisfactory as that of a home Internet connection. However, when you leave your accommodation, you may need to turn off Wi-Fi connectivity.
Why leaving Wi-Fi always on on your smartphone is a bad idea
When Wi-Fi connectivity is permanently on on your smartphone, it is constantly looking for a network to “hang”. Certainly, you must manually validate the connection to a Wi-Fi network to connect to it: sometimes you even have to enter an identifier. However, unless you regularly clean up the networks where you have been connected at least once, they remain in memory on your smartphone. And each time you go back to a place where you have already been connected, your terminal will automatically connect to it.
This is where the problem lies. Indeed, when it comes to public networks, it is impossible to control the computer security of the premises, and the way in which it has evolved since your last visit : A cafe, store or train station may have had its Wi-Fi network compromised between your first visit and the next. And your smartphone can connect to it without you even realizing it, putting your data potentially at risk.
What can be done to limit the risks associated with Wi-Fi on mobile?
You have the choice between three attitudes to limit the risks associated with Wi-Fi on your smartphone:
- You can turn off mobile Wi-Fi when you leave home. To do this, simply go to the settings of your smartphone, then to network options. You can also deactivate the function directly from the menu accessible by scrolling down the pane of your mobile interface.
- You can also clean up regularly by deleting the Wi-Fi networks to which you have connected. The ideal is to do it systematically when you no longer need to use a public network. It only takes a few minutes to reconnect to it when needed.
- Finally, when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, try to use a VPN as much as possible to anonymize your access. This protects you from possible security breaches and malicious hackers.
