Hosts and sharers are encouraged to take additional steps to secure and protect the data that they transmit and receive while sharing Wifi.
While 121Co takes all reasonable precautions to safeguard our customer’s data, it is highly recommended that users do the following to safeguard their data.
Set your browser preferences to never record your history – This ensures that your browsing history is never recorded on your browsing and all data is cleared the moment you close your browser.
The following sections discuss how to delete history and not allow recording of history via Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. The steps illustrated have been done on the latest versions of the browsers.
For users who use google chrome, perform the following actions –
Click the settings icon as shown below and access the settings page on google chrome. Then select settings from there.
In the settings area, scroll down to the bottom and select the arrow next to Advanced
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the clear browsing data section.
A Pop-up window will appear where you select all of the web histories to be deleted and select the beginning of time. Ensure everything else is selected to clear out any data that your browser is storing.
For Mozilla Firefox, the process is as follows:
Click the Library button , click History and then click Clear Recent History.
Click the drop-down menu next to Time range to clear to choose how much of your history Firefox will clear. Select Everything
Next, click the arrow next to Details to select exactly what information will get cleared. Ensure that all the boxes are ticked as shown and click Clear Now.
For Internet Explorer, follow these steps –
Select Tools (via the Gear Icon) > Safety > Delete browsing history. You can also access this menu by holding Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
Uncheck Preserve Favorites website data and check both Temporary Internet Files and Cookies then click Delete
You will get a confirmation at the bottom of the window once it has successfully cleared your cache and cookies.
For Safari, the procedure is as follows –
From the Safari browser, pull down the “Safari” menu and choose “Clear History and Website Data”
Select all history alongside the Clear menu:
Use privacy/stealth mode on their existing browsers – Each browser has a different name for it. This mode ensures that browsers do not save passwords, website history, and other browsing related data. In almost all browsers, when a user activates a private mode window it will show you what the mode will protect you from.
For Google Chrome, the process is as follows –
Click on the setting icon and click on new incognito window from there
A new window opens declaring, "You've gone incognito."
For Mozilla Firefox, perform the following actions –
Click the settings icon in the top right corner of the browser window and select New Private Window
A new window will open showing that you have opened a private window.
For Internet Explorer/Microsoft edge, perform the following –
Click on the settings icon at the top right corner of the browser window and select new private window.
A new InPrivate window appears
Use open source privacy tools such as a private browser (Tor).
The following is an explanation of the popular TOR browser.
The Tor software protects users by bouncing communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world:
it prevents someone from watching your Internet connection and learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites that are blocked.
It can be used on Windows, MacOS, and Linux without any need to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser to protect your anonymity and is portable.
Proceed to the TOR website and select your operating system type (Windows, MacOS, Linux).
Open the downloaded file. It will display the following
Select the option to configure TOR as a bridge for a more secure connection.
Next, it will ask you whether your local computer needs a local proxy to connect to the internet. Select No and click on Connect.
Once the browser has been installed, you will receive a successful installation message.
Use an open DNS, which does not allow any traffic to be logged into their system.
There are two main types here. The first type is already pre-configured and you just have to enter the values into your browser.
An example of this is https://freedns.zone/en/. FreeDNS is an open, free and public DNS Server. It is unrestricted, there is no need for registration, and no logging occurs on the server.
OpenDNS (https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/) allows users to configure their home routers and/or devices in such a way that inappropriate content can be blocked from access. Hosts can use it to configure their home routers before allowing sharers access to their WiFi.
OpenDNS has three main options – OpenDNS Family Shield, OpenDNS Home, and OpenDNS Home VIP. 121Co recommends the use of OpenDNS Family Shield as there is no need to sign up, and clear instructions are available on the website.
For more information, please refer to the link given above.
Use File and Disk Encryption tools to encrypt your private data. Both types of software require being installed on user devices.
A Disk Encryption Tool such as VeraCrypt allows users to create a mountable password protected disk which they can enable using the software and store all their private files on the disk.
For more information, please refer to the link -- https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Beginner%27s%20Tutorial
A File Encryption Tool allows users to securely encrypt and protect single files. An example of this is AES Crypt.
It is an open source file encryption software available on several operating systems that use the industry standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to easily and securely encrypt files. You do not need to be an expert to use AES Crypt, nor do you need to understand cryptography. Using a powerful 256-bit encryption algorithm, AES Crypt can safely secure your most sensitive files. Once a file is encrypted, you do not have to worry about a person reading your sensitive information, as an encrypted file is useless without the password. It simply cannot be read.
For more information, please refer to the link -- https://www.aescrypt.com/.
Use password management tools such as LastPass, KeePass etc.
These applications store your passwords in encrypted form and are very easy to use. Passwords can be stored securely and reused whenever required.
Use two-factor authentication (2FA).
A common application used to generate the 2FA codes is Google Authenticator.
Most web applications have the option of 2FA. This gives you an added layer of security to your email, banking accounts etc.