Takeaway:  Five simple ways to protect your information when using WiFi and Hotspots.

WiFi is exchanging data through a wireless local area network (WLAN) from electronic devices including smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Also, WiFi is available in public places such as Airports and Restaurants.  Identity Thieves, Hackers and Criminals take advantage of WiFi because it is convenient for users to access personal information.

1.  Avoid accessing your bank accounts & online stores:

When using public WiFi, it is best to avoid using your credit card or banking information.

2.  Double check the WiFi name:

Prior to connecting to a public network double check with an employee for their network name.  Identity thieves can create a false Hot-Spot, have users connect and then steal personal information.

3.  Turn-Off “Auto Connect”:

Stay in control of what networks you connect to, smartphones have a setting that automatically connects you to the closest open network.  Simply, turn this setting off to decide what networks to connect to.

4.  Never use the same Password:

An additional step you can take to keep online accounts safe is to use different passwords for each account.   Using the same password makes stealing your information easier for criminals.

5.  Check the Lock:

The extra layer of security is the locked padlock in the address bar of your browser or “https” which means that your information has been encrypted.

Comcast on Monday launched Xfinity Wi-Fi, which will provide free wireless Internet access to customers in Northern New Jersey, areas along the Jersey Shore, and the Philadelphia metro area.

Users who subscribe to Comcast Xfinity Internet service will be able to log-in to more than 2,000 wireless hot spots with their Comcast username and password. The hot spots have been placed in areas like parks, shopping districts, boardwalks, and transit stations.

In Philadelphia, for example, customers can access Wi-Fi at SEPTA’s Suburban and Market East Stations, many train platforms along the Paoli/Landsdale and the Manayunk/Norristown Line, the Wells Fargo Center, and the South Street shopping district.

In New Jersey, access has been enabled in towns like Berkeley Heights, Livingston, Long Branch, Montclair, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Red Bank, Rumson, Summit, and Trenton.

Comcast said it would increase the number of hot spots in the NJ-Philadelphia area by year’s end, but does not have plans to expand into other markets or nationally in the near future. Earlier this year, Comcast announced a roaming agreement with Cablevision and Time Warner Cable that lets Xfinity Internet customers access hot spots in the New York Tri-State area.

A map of available hot spots is posted on comcast.com/wifi.

“With the explosion of wireless Internet devices, new platforms and apps, consumers are increasingly looking to enjoy entertainment and communications on the go,” Cathy Avgiris, senior vice president and general manager of communications and data services for Comcast Cable, said in a statement. “We offer some of the fastest Internet speeds in the home and, by offering Xfinity WiFi, we’re also providing a fast wireless Internet experience for our customers when they are outside the home.”

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