You’ve in all probability had a time the place public Wi-Fi has felt like a lifesaver, whether or not it was downloading a film to look at on an extended prepare experience or taking a last-minute assembly at your favourite espresso store. However that comfort doesn’t come with out threat.
We surveyed 1,000 People in July of 2025 about their public Wi-Fi use, revealing a troubling disconnect between People’ said issues about public Wi-Fi safety and their precise on-line conduct. Whereas over 65% of customers categorical concern about public Wi-Fi security, almost one in 4 People forgo primary protecting measures like VPNs or antivirus software program when connecting to those networks.
So many People fear about public Wi-Fi safety — however why do dangerous behaviors persist?
Under, we’ll stroll you thru what we discovered and what it reveals about how we should always view public Wi-Fi security.
Key takeaways:
- Over one-third of customers say they solely use public Wi-Fi for “non-sensitive actions,” but massive numbers report making purchases, logging into financial institution accounts, and different dangerous behaviors.
- Ladies are much less assured of their skill to identify malicious Wi-Fi networks than males — but they expertise 42% fewer confirmed or suspected public Wi-Fi safety breaches.
- Solely one in 5 People are “very assured” they may establish false Wi-Fi networks.
- Over 10% of People who had a safety breach after utilizing public Wi-Fi report damages to their status.
Almost 40% of People Report Safety Incidents After Utilizing Public Wi-Fi
If you happen to’re pondering these excessive numbers come from folks not figuring out there’s a threat to utilizing free Wi-Fi, then suppose once more. Over 65% of respondents are reasonably to very involved about public Wi-Fi safety, so there could also be one other issue at play.
Over 1 in 3 People Declare to Not Browse Delicate Information on Public Wi-Fi, But Many Admit to Unsafe Looking out
Some frequent dangerous behaviors embody:
- Checking private e mail – 43%
- Making purchases with a debit or bank card – 20%
- Logging into their financial institution – 18%
- Checking work-related information or e mail – 17%
- Downloading information – 16%
If you happen to’re responsible of a few of these, there’s no must panic. However there are very actual safety dangers that include these on-line actions. Malicious public Wi-Fi scorching spots can enable customers to watch your display and even keyboard exercise. This may give scammers entry to your private info, work info, monetary info, or full entry to your system in additional excessive instances.
With solely 20% of People reporting feeling “very assured” of their skill to establish false Wi-Fi networks, utilizing protecting instruments will help you keep safer searching practices, no matter your familiarity with the newest safety threats.
Almost 1 in 4 People Skip Key Safety Even Whereas Dealing with Delicate Information on Public Wi-Fi
Specifically, customers mentioned they skip utilizing a VPN due to the expense, counting on a tool’s built-in safety, and forgetting to show it on. A further 18% of customers additionally cited that they discovered a VPN too difficult to arrange or use.
Opposite to this perception, there are lots of free and low-cost VPN choices like Panda Dome VPN which are simple to arrange in just some steps. Usually, you simply must obtain your most popular VPN service and create an account to get began, though setup from completely different suppliers might range.
Ladies Really feel 72% Much less Educated about Public Wi-Fi Dangers — But They Report 42% Fewer Safety Points
Ladies report:
- Much less confidence of their skill to establish malicious Wi-Fi networks
- The next probability to partake in “unsafe” practices on public Wi-Fi
- Decrease probability to make use of third-party safety options.
But, in addition they report fewer safety incidents after utilizing public Wi-Fi.
It’s exhausting to say the rationale why ladies appear to have fewer safety points with out additional research but it surely was additionally found that girls reported utilizing public Wi-Fi networks much less, with 14% of girls accessing a public community a number of instances a day in comparison with 22% of males.
Over 10% of People Skilled Injury to Their Repute After a Public Wi-Fi Safety Incident
As scammers make the most of the AI increase, there are extra sources they will use in opposition to their victims. Between advances in voice cloning and deepfake expertise, it’s turn out to be simpler to impersonate customers. These convincing video or audio clones have turn out to be rather more lifelike — making it simpler for scammers to idiot your folks, household, and even office.
One of the best ways to guard your self in opposition to generative AI scams and conventional vulnerabilities is to guard your gadgets and information as a lot as potential. Restrict searching actions with delicate information to while you’re related to a safe, password-protected community and use preventative measures like a VPN when in public.
Get pleasure from Fear-Free Scrolling with Panda Safety
There doesn’t must be such a big hole between People’ public Wi-Fi anxieties and their lack of secure searching habits. Fashionable safety options can present simple safety and peace of thoughts with out conserving you from connecting to family and friends on-line.
Whether or not you’re a frequent traveler, distant employee, or just somebody who values their digital privateness, complete safety like Panda Dome will be as computerized as connecting to Wi-Fi itself.
Methodology
The survey of 1,014 U.S. adults 18+ was performed through SurveyMonkey Viewers for Panda Safety in July 2025. Information is unweighted and the margin of error is roughly +/-3% for the general pattern with a 95% confidence degree. Respondents have been allowed to pick out a number of responses for sure questions, so some responses might add as much as over 100%.
