You walk into a new café and notice the promise of free Wi‑Fi. You’ve got a bit of work to catch up on—check your emails, maybe transfer some money to cover that extra shot of espresso—so connecting seems like a no‑brainer.

But did you stop to check whether that Wi‑Fi actually belongs to the café? Why didn’t it ask for a password? Could you be connecting to what’s known as an “Evil Twin”?

An Evil Twin network is a fake Wi‑Fi access point designed to look legitimate. These networks are created by attackers to intercept wireless traffic. If you were to access online banking, log in to email, or connect to a work system, your activity could be monitored, with the aim of stealing login details, financial information, or personal data. In some cases, malware may also be installed on your device without you realising.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk:

• Avoid using unsecured Wi‑Fi networks
• Turn off automatic Wi‑Fi connection on your devices
• Pay attention to security warnings and alerts—never ignore them
• Don’t log in to sensitive or private accounts when using public Wi‑Fi
• Use a VPN to encrypt (or “scramble”) your online activity
• Enable multi‑factor authentication (MFA or 2FA) wherever possible

Public Wi‑Fi is a bit like having a conversation in a public place—always think about who might be listening, and don’t share anything you wouldn’t want overheard.