Using wifi safely

To ensure your personal information remains safe, it’s important you use secure wifi when accessing the internet.

Accessing secure wifi

There ar 2 secure wifi networks available at UQ:

• UQ Wifi is the primary wireless network for students and staff at all campuses.
• Eduroam is a wifi network available at UQ.

See how to connect to wifi on campus

Risks of using public wifi

Public wifi may be unsafe as it can be accessed by cybercriminals to obtain your personal data such as login credentials. Avoid using public wifi networks to access accounts, such as your UQ account, bank account or online shopping. 

If you must use public wifi, there are ways to reduce the risks:

Check you are connecting to a legitimate wifi hotspot

Check the hotspot name is correct and always choose a network that requires a password. Cybercriminals create hotspots to trap users into sharing their personal data, and they would not require a password. 

Disable the “auto connect” feature on your device 

You can control which networks you join and remember to “forget” the network once you are finished using it.

Disable file sharing 

When joining a hotspot always select the option that the network is public so that file sharing is automatically disabled. Cybercriminals will not be able to access your files or add malicious files to your device.

Be careful what you access

As public wifi is not as secure, it may be best to wait until you are using a safer home or office network to access your accounts. 

Use a VPN

A VPN or Virtual Private Network offers additional protection when using the internet by encrypting your data. Research carefully VPN providers and how they store and share information before you make a decision. To access UQ resources such as network files shares and certain applications off campus, staff are required to use the UQ Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

Securing personal wifi networks

If your home wifi and other personal wifi networks aren’t secure, they can be used to steal information.

To help secure your personal wifi networks, follow your devices' operating manuals to:

Change your router's default password 

The wifi network name (also known as SSID) should be changed to ensure it doesn’t include any personal information and ensure the password is strong. Default admin passwords for routers are often publicly available online, leaving users vulnerable to a cyberattack. Update your password and refer to Use Secure Passwords to learn about the characteristics of a strong password.

Disable remote management 

Remote management on your modem or router allows changes to be made to your internet connection remotely. By disabling this function, you prevent unauthorised remote access.

Update your router's firmware regularly 

Firmware is the software used by your router. Updated firmware provides improved features and fixes security vulnerabilities.

Use the strongest wifi encryption available

Encryption protects your activity and data as it travels over wifi. Outdated encryption or unencrypted wifi means your activity may be visible to those in range of your router. Set your wifi encryption to WPA3 in your router settings. If this setting is not available, choose WPA2, which can also be called WPA2-Personal or WPA2-PSK.

Enable guest wifi

In your router settings add a secondary wifi network for guests. The guest network will have a separate log in and password and this will ensure your credentials are kept separate and secure.