Apple iPhone and public Wi-Fi don't mix, but if you must, know how to stop being hacked

Using public Wi-Fi on your Apple iPhone could make your device vulnerable to hackers. However, you can secure your phone with these tips.

How to secure iPhone while using public Wi-Fi. (Bloomberg)

Using an open, unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection on your Apple iPhone is quite risky. But we often ignore the risk of using public Wi-Fi and end up exposing our phone to cyberattacks. So, if you must use it, then be careful. In fact, never use an open Wi-Fi network without enabling some security measures on your iPhone. It is very easy for hackers to monitor all your activity with an open Wi-Fi that may be available in any public area like coffee shops or malls or railway stations. If you don't have any security measures in your device that will protect you while using public Wi-Fi, it is advisable to avoid shopping online or logging onto your bank account or surfing sites that require you to enter your personal data, as this will expose all your personal data to the hackers. Check your bank account or shop online when you're traveling by using only your cellular data connection. If you have no option other than using an open Wi-Fi network, here are the certain things that you must keep in mind

Use a VPN

Using a VPN is the simplest way to protect your device data from all sorts of watchful eyes. Install the VPN app from the service on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac and enable it. This will make your internet traffic encrypted and routed through a secure network and prevent from someone trying to monitor your activities.

Only Visit HTTPS Sites

Sites that have HTTPS as opposed to HTTP, are by default secured and have an encrypted connection. HTTP is fine if you are browsing or reading articles on the web, however, if you're creating an account, shopping, or doing anything that requires your personal data, make sure to go to websites with HTTPS only. That indicates the website is safe.

Enable 2 factor authentication

Always enable 2 factor authentication for your personal or banking data – Google, Facebook, iCloud, bank account and trading services. This trick will prevent your accounts from getting exposed. Even if someone gets to know your password, they won't be able to login to your account with a 2FA passcode that comes to you as an SMS or one that's generated using Google Authenticator app.

Disable automatically connecting to open Wi-Fi networks feature on your iPhone

Apple has bundled a feature where you can disable your Wi-Fi from getting automatically connected to either known or open Wi-Fi networks. You can do so by going to your iPhone settings.