Is connecting to public WiFi safe? How to protect your online activity now

What is public WiFi?

Public WiFi refers to any wireless internet connection provided in common areas, including areas like cafes, airports, malls, and parks. It can be a highly helpful tool for connecting to the internet for work, leisure, or to contact friends and family without having to dip into your wireless data.

However, it works differently from the internet you might encounter at home. That’s because many public WiFi networks tend to be open networks that you can connect to without needing to enter a password.

Most public WiFI these days use something called captive portals. This works by connecting to the internet, then entering an email and accepting the terms and conditions to use the service. Most hotels and airports use this method.

Although one thing to note is that many of these "free" networks aren’t truly free at all. Many of them ask you for an email address to use for marketing and data purposes to understand which websites you visit.

That means companies can easily see which websites are part of your daily browsing activity. Hackers can use this opportunity to snoop or intercept the data that you're receiving and sending.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is software that protects and anonymises everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.

The most reliable cheap VPNs or even free VPNs employ the same encryption standard as governments in the United Kingdom and the United States, ensuring that even your Internet Service Provider (ISP) connected to Wi-Fi cannot record the websites you visit, the duration of your sessions on each site, or your current location. This protection extends to advertisers, trackers, and hackers, preventing them from monitoring your online behaviour.

Furthermore, personal information entered into online forms and sensitive data transmitted to and from your device will be safeguarded from hackers using strong encryption provided by a VPN.

How a VPN helps protect your online activity

A VPN creates a secure tunnel to protect your data – even if fraudsters use sophisticated online attacks.

For example, hackers can use "Man In The Middle" attacks where bad actors sit between your device and a public Wi-Fi router — where they can see all of your activity. Since a VPN is encrypted, a hacker would only be able to see the encrypted exterior of the tunnel, not your actual activity.

It also protects and masks your IP address, meaning the WiFi owner or a hacker can only see the IP address of the VPN server, not your actual device or physical location. For instance, hackers often set up fake Wi-Fi names in what is called "twin networks." If you accidentally connect to one, they can see everything. A VPN can protect you from this fraud attempt, too, because your data remains encrypted.

If you're debating which provider to use, ExpressVPN is an award-winning VPN with gongs from the likes of Techradar, CNET, and Tom's Guide — with praise for its servers dedicated to fast, reliable streaming from anywhere in the world.

Monthly prices start from £1.99 a month, and unlock ExpressVPN across up to 10 devices. Once installed, connect to a UK server from ExpressVPN's network of over 3,000 servers across 105 countries.

The service uses proprietary Lightway protocol for enhanced speed and reliability, ensuring smooth streaming of festival performances.

The service works across all your devices - Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, smart TVs and streaming devices like Fire TV Stick. You can even use ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer feature to watch on devices that don't normally support VPNs, such as PlayStation or Xbox.

ExpressVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to watch the entire festival risk-free and recover your investment if you're not satisfied with the service.

VPNs are not illegal and are often mandated by companies to improve online security for employees. However, it's your responsibility to ensure that you're using these popular apps for legal use. Always check the terms and conditions of the streaming service.

Benefits of ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is particularly well-suited for streaming as it boasts VPN server locations in 105 countries, providing access to global coverage.

It offers ultra-fast speeds on a 10-Gbps network, essential for high-quality streaming without buffering. With military-grade encryption, a strict no-logs policy, and features like split tunnelling and a kill switch, your online activity stays private.

Based in the British Virgin Islands — outside Five Eyes jurisdiction — it avoids mandatory data retention laws, which means that even if the company were collecting data (it's not), law enforcement from the UK and US would be unable to compel ExpressVPN to hand over any information about its subscribers.

ExpressVPN supports a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and routers. There's no limit on the number of ExpressVPN apps that you can download on your devices, and with a single subscription, you can connect to the VPN on 10x devices at once.

It also has a dedicated team that optimises the service for major streaming platforms. Round-the-clock customer support is available if you encounter any issues during race weekend.

ExpressVPN isn't the cheapest VPN. However, its 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free choice for privacy-conscious users and frequent streamers. It should also give new customers the confidence to subscribe to one of its longer contracts, which unlock the biggest discounts.