How to Stay Safe While Going Mobile

It's easy to have a smartphone or tablet, isn't it? We live in a world where we feel a sense of happiness when we look down at our phone and see that "3G" or "4G" indicator in the top corner of our screen. We feel even better when there is a wireless connection. It's no secret that we have become addicted to getting our information right away, checking our social media profiles, and even relentlessly checking our bank accounts as we move from location to location.

But there is nothing that is completely secure and as we move from place to place, we need to keep that in mind. Sure, we may feel secure sitting in Starbucks browsing the internet as we sip our coffee, but there is a chance that our information is being downloaded and stored in the time that we sit there. There are programs online that can help the most amateur hacker take control of your information and you would never even know it. In fact, research from 2010 found that nearly 28% of public Wi-Fi networks were unsecure.

This isn't meant to scare you but to notify you that there are some very simple things that you can do to keep your data safe at home and on the go.

1. At home, make sure you are using a wireless router that is password encrypted. Make sure it's a hard to crack password of at least fourteen characters containing both numbers and letters.
2. Hide your SSiD (Service Set Identifier). This is the name of your network and changing the name will leave the impression to a would-be hacker that you take great care of your Wi-Fi network.
3. While out and about, try not to go to any sites where you have to log in. People who are prowling for your information might be able to access this information without you knowing it, and suddenly they could have your bank or Twitter account information.
4. Trust your instincts when it comes to where you browse and where you don't. If you think accessing a Wi-Fi network might be a bad idea where you are, just wait until you get home. If you need to do something online, it might be able to wait until you get home or when you get to a better location.

Staying safe while being mobile isn't always easy, because we get spoiled to having that instant connection. It's better to be sure about the kind of connection you're about to join, rather than to take the chance of a would be hacker walking out of the coffee shop or hotel with all of your secure information.