Convention Wi-Fi is a public hotspot, but that does not automatically make it unsafe: the Federal Trade Commission says public Wi-Fi is usually safe because encryption is now widespread. Protect your devices and accounts anyway: confirm the network with event staff, keep software updated, use HTTPS, and secure important accounts with unique passwords and multifactor authentication (MFA).
Before you leave for the convention
Prepare your console, handheld, laptop, and phone while connected to a network you trust. Updates and account protections are easier to handle before you are relying on a busy venue’s connection.
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- Install updates. Update each device’s operating system, browser, games and apps, and security software where applicable. The FTC recommends keeping computers and smartphones current.
- Secure important accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for your email and gaming-platform accounts, then enable MFA wherever it is offered. Email deserves particular attention because it may be used to reset other accounts.
- Review automatic Wi-Fi connections. Turn off automatic joining of open or public networks where your device provides that option. The FTC specifically recommends disabling automatic connections to public Wi-Fi on smartphones.
- Plan a fallback. Know how to use mobile data if the venue’s network name or sign-in process seems suspicious. Coverage, cost, and performance vary, so mobile data is an alternative rather than a guaranteed upgrade.
How to join the venue’s network safely
Verify the network name and sign-in process
Get the official network name and connection instructions from convention staff or official event materials. A familiar-looking network name is not proof that an access point belongs to the venue, and there is no single convention-wide SSID or sign-in process.
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Be cautious with unexpected connection prompts, pop-ups, messages, or QR codes that ask you to sign in. If a page appears out of context or requests information you did not expect to provide, stop and ask event staff how to connect.
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Use HTTPS, but do not treat it as proof a site is legitimate
The FTC’s February 2023 guidance says, “Because of the widespread use of encryption, connecting through a public Wi-Fi network is usually safe.” Encryption helps protect information in transit, but it does not establish that a website is genuine, prevent phishing, or vouch for the hotspot operator. Check that a site uses HTTPS, and reach account sign-in pages through a trusted app, bookmark, or address you enter yourself rather than an unsolicited link. The FTC also cautions that scammers can use encrypted websites.
Protect accounts and devices while connected
Keep credentials out of the wrong hands
Use trusted apps or HTTPS websites for account access. Do not reuse passwords across gaming, email, and other accounts; if one password is exposed, unique passwords limit how many accounts it can unlock. On a borrowed or shared device, do not save your password, and sign out when you finish.
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MFA adds a second check to sign-in where supported. CISA identifies physical security keys as a preferred MFA method and says they provide strong protection against phishing. A FIDO-compatible security key is an optional account sign-in tool—not a way to encrypt your general network traffic or secure the convention’s access point. Check that both the account and device support the key before relying on it.
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A VPN app routes traffic through an encrypted connection. On public Wi-Fi, this can make traffic harder for someone monitoring the local connection to read, including traffic to a site that does not itself use encryption. It is optional, not a complete security solution.
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A VPN provider becomes a party that handles the traffic routed through its service, so consider its privacy practices rather than assuming the service makes you anonymous. A VPN cannot make a fraudulent site trustworthy or replace software updates and MFA. The cited guidance does not establish whether a particular VPN will work with a convention’s captive portal, a specific console, or a game service.
Choose a connection method based on what you need
| Option | What it offers | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Venue Wi-Fi | Convenient access; the FTC says public Wi-Fi is usually safe because encryption is widespread. | Verify the official network and sign-in process, use HTTPS, and watch for scams. |
| Venue Wi-Fi with a VPN | Adds an encrypted tunnel that can help protect traffic from observation on the local network. | You must trust the VPN operator with traffic routed through it. It does not provide anonymity or guarantee compatibility with a portal, console, or game service. |
| Mobile data | An alternative if the venue network or its sign-in flow seems suspicious. | Coverage, cost, and performance depend on your service and location; no general security or performance advantage is established here. |
What to do if a sign-in prompt looks wrong
- Stop before entering information. Do not submit a password or personal details to an unexpected page, message, QR-code destination, or pop-up.
- Disconnect from the questionable connection. Use mobile data if available, or ask event staff for the official network and sign-in steps.
- If you may have exposed a password, change it from a trusted connection. Use the account’s official website or app, not a link from the suspicious prompt.
- Review account protections. Check MFA and active sessions in the account’s official security settings, and sign out sessions you do not recognize.
These steps are sensible account-response practices; the FTC’s public Wi-Fi guidance does not provide a convention-specific incident procedure.
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Sources and scope
- FTC: “Are Public Wi-Fi Networks Safe? What You Need To Know” (February 2023), for current consumer guidance on public Wi-Fi, encryption, HTTPS, and scams.
- FTC: “Cybersecurity for Small Business”, for advice on updates and disabling automatic public Wi-Fi connections.
- FTC: “In the market for a VPN app?” (February 2018), for VPN traffic-routing and privacy limitations.
- CISA: “Four Cybersecurity Essentials for SLTTs”, for its discussion of MFA and physical security keys.
- FTC: “Public Wi-Fi Networks – Security Tips” transcript, an older source that supports durable advice to avoid password reuse and sign out when finished. Its broad warning about hotspot encryption predates the FTC’s February 2023 consumer guidance.
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