A Primer on New York City’s Fast, Free Public Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi revolution in New York is now visible, as the Wi-Fi kiosks for the city's LinkNYC network have begun to replace public telephone boxes around the city, with 500 in place by summer. The public Wi-Fi system is set to create a seamless wireless internet network across the city, creating what Wall Street Journal reporter Joanna Stern describes as "the future of public Wi-Fi." But with access, come some precautions, Stern warns.

I was feeling great about how much more secure my data would be until I spoke to Mark Wuergler, a security professional at Immunity Inc., who gets paid to find vulnerabilities in high-value networks.

“An attack is inevitable on New York City’s system,” he says. “It is too big of a trophy.”

Security experts advise users of the system to ensure their connection is encrypted, or to be even safer through the use of a VPN. Alternatively, or in addition to these precautions, is the need for multiple passwords across sites and as Stern advises, two-factor authenticated logins for sensitive sites.