2 Security Settings to Check Before Using Airport Wi‑Fi
Table of Contents A quick story at the gate Why airport Wi‑Fi is different Security setting 1: Turn off auto‑join & sharing Security setting 2: Force encryption with VPN + Secure DNS My 90‑second preflight routine A quick story at the gate Fifteen minutes before boarding, my laptop auto‑joined a network I’d never seen. The SSID looked legit—something like “Airport_Free_WiFi_Guest.” It wasn’t. A popup asked me to “re‑verify” my email and company login. My stomach dropped. I killed Wi‑Fi, checked my settings, and realized two things were still on: auto‑join and file sharing . I had basically walked into a crowded terminal with my digital front door wide open. That flight, I wrote a tiny checklist. Since then, I tap two settings before I connect anywhere public—especially airports. Why airport Wi‑Fi is different It’s not just “public Wi‑Fi.” It’s high‑traffic, rushed, and full of predictable targets. People are distracted....