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Logging On to Public Wi-Fi Networks Is About to Get More Secure
The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced a new security protocol called WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3).
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If you link up to a public Wi-Fi network like the one offered by your local coffee shop, you should know that your connection probably isn't very secure. Free Wi-Fi connections aren't encrypted, so other users on the network can potentially spy on what you're doing and steal your usernames and passwords.
But according to CNET, the Wi-Fi Alliance—a group made up of member companies like Apple and Intel that creates Wi-Fi standards and certifies products—has announced a major change to Wi-Fi security that's coming in 2018. A new security protocol called WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3) makes networks more secure against hackers, whether it's your computer, smartphone, or Wi-Fi-enabled fridge that's connected (just in case you take your smart fridge to Starbucks).
You're probably already familiar with WPA2, the security system many Wi-Fi networks already run on. This is just an improvement on that system—a much-needed update after a computer scientist discovered a major vulnerability in October 2017—with better data encryption and higher security requirements. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, it can protect users even if they use terrible passwords. (Which you shouldn't.)
From Mental Floss
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