When you're at an airport, hotel, or coffee shop, it's always tempting to log on to an open public Wi-Fi hotspot and save your data plan for when you need it. Unfortunately, accessing public wi-fi isn't always the safest when it comes to protecting data. Open networks are more vulnerable to intrusions, and in the worst cases, there are hackers setting up "evil twin" Wi-Fi networks that look like existing public networks.
A newly granted patent to Apple suggests that the iPhone maker is working on ways to improve security when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, as seen by iDrop News.
The company applied for the CROWD Sourced Privacy-Preserving Access Point Mapping patent in March 2023. It was granted on July 16, 2024.
"A server device can receive access point data reports from multiple user devices that includes various attributes and/or measurements with respect to access points with which the user devices have established connections," reads an abstract from the patent. "The access point data reports can be delivered without identifying the user devices, or users thereof, and their exact locations ... The generated access point data can be served to user devices so that the user devices can improve the efficiency of the interactions between user devices and the detected access points and/or networks."
In less abstract terms, it means that Apple is working on a way for an Apple device, like an iPhone, to get more information about public Wi-Fi networks beyond the current network name and signal strength.
Examples of more granular details might include the network's reliability and safety based on interactions from previous users.
It could help iPhone users find safer Wi-Fi networks or ignore ones that appear to be shady.
The patent was just granted to Apple, so we might not see a true public wi-fi feature for some time. Still, it does mean that Apple can officially push software or hardware solutions forward or increase testing.
In the meantime, there are a few best practices to consider when accessing public Wi-Fi:
- Utilize a VPN, which encrypts your connection and makes it harder for bad actors to access data.
- Unless you absolutely have to; avoid accessing sensitive accounts while on public wi-fi, like bank accounts or health accounts.
- Use strong passwords. At a minimum they should be between 8 and 12 characters long with a mix of numbers, letters and symbols.
- Make sure your software is up to date, especially security programs
- Forget the network when you're done. Sometimes your device will automatically keep an accessed network as remembered, so make sure that it's forgotten.
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