Former CIA officer Jason Hanson has issued a stark warning about the dangers of using public WiFi without protection, stating that anyone who does so is "out of their mind." Hanson, who joined the CIA at age 23 and now runs the safety training company Spy Briefing, emphasized that government agencies worldwide can monitor users through their devices.
Government Surveillance Capabilities
In an interview with LADbible Stories, Hanson explained: "Every government agency on Earth can listen through your cell phone, can listen through your laptop, can listen through your cameras. It doesn't matter what it is. If you think you have a cell phone that is gonna be like magic and the Agency's not gonna listen in, they can." To protect his own privacy, Hanson uses a basic flip phone instead of a smartphone to avoid tracking.
The VPN Solution
Hanson was particularly blunt about unprotected public WiFi use. "If I log into public WiFi, the only time I would ever do it is if I'm using a VPN, a virtual private network," he said. A VPN encrypts internet traffic, making it unreadable to eavesdroppers. Hanson added: "So basically it encrypts my traffic... I'm not just going to my hotel, or I'm not going when I'm flying on an aeroplane and logging into that public WiFi without a VPN."
How VPNs Work
A VPN routes internet traffic through a remote server operated by the VPN provider. When a user opens the VPN app and selects a server (often in a different city or country), all data leaving the device is scrambled into unreadable code before traveling across the network. This prevents hackers, ISPs, and government agencies from intercepting sensitive information such as emails, passwords, and browsing history.
Hanson's Personal Practices
Hanson noted that he uses a VPN to mask his location, making it appear as though he is in a different state. "Even though I live in Utah, when I'm on my VPN the other day, I said it lived, I was in New Jersey," he said. He reiterated: "If you log into public WiFi without using a VPN or something else, you're absolutely out of your mind because they're just gonna read your mail, they're gonna know everything about you. It is very unsafe."
Hanson's warning serves as a reminder to reconsider connectivity habits in public spaces, urging the use of VPNs to protect personal data from surveillance and cyber threats.
