People who use public connections may be compromised by hackers but there are several safeguards available to avoid public wi-fi security risks. The recent availability of free Wi-Fi has been a great benefit for small businesses and consumers alike, and there are free connections in almost any hotel, restaurant or coffee shop. Since no authentication is required to establish a connection, hackers have an easier time stealing data. Hackers position themselves between a person with an unsecured device and the connection point, which means that the phone’s information is sent to the hacker instead of the hotspot. Emails, search requests and credit card information may be sent. With this information, a hacker may be able to access some of the person’s information easily.