Is Internet Banking via Public Wi-Fi Safe?

In many places, you can use a public Wi-Fi network with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Think of cafes, restaurants, campsites, hotels, shops, and airports.

Internet Banking: Not via Public Wi-Fi

Wireless internet via a public Wi-Fi network is not safe, even if you log in with a password. On a public Wi-Fi network, a criminal can gain access to your device and discover personal and important data, such as your login details for internet banking. It is therefore not recommended to do internet banking via unsecured or unknown Wi-Fi networks, as is often the case in public places.

With a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you establish a secure connection between your device (computer, tablet, and smartphone) and the internet. You can then use public Wi-Fi as usual because you are shielded online.

Use Your Data Bundle

Another option is to do internet banking via the data bundle (3G or 4G) of your provider. This costs you money, but it is also safe. You can also choose to temporarily make your smartphone a hotspot that you connect your tablet or computer to for internet banking.

Use the Banking App

If it really cannot be otherwise than to do internet banking via public Wi-Fi, at least use the app of your bank on your smartphone or tablet. And pay close attention to whether anything strange happens, such as an amount or account number changing.

Reference Notes:

You may already be aware of my collaboration with the Dutch government and their endorsement of my Information Security PubQuiz. If not, you can read about it here. Regrettably, the government education site that underpins part of my PubQuizzes is not available in English. Therefore, I’ve translated the articles from “veiliginternetten.nl” and “alertonline.nl” and you can read them on my site. The original source for this article, in Dutch, can be found here.