Network security: six guides to harden your connection
Public WiFi, kill switch, MAC spoofing, WPA2 vs WPA3, Tor vs VPN, mobile hotspot: six analyses to understand real attack vectors and pick the right countermeasures.
Beyond the VPN: network security
A VPN protects your outbound traffic but does nothing against a compromised WiFi access point, an open Bluetooth or an Evil Twin hotspot. Network security is every layer above and below the VPN tunnel.
These six guides detail real threats (not marketing scenarios), explain countermeasures that actually work (kill switch, WPA3, MAC spoofing) and compare complementary tools like Tor or mobile tethering.
Practical angle: tested on recent hardware (2024-2026), with limits documented, indicating when VPN alone is enough — and when you must stack another layer.
The 6 guides in this cluster
- 16 min
WPA2 vs WPA3: what the new Wi-Fi standard actually changes in 2026
Technical differences between WPA2 and WPA3, known WPA2 vulnerabilities (KRACK, PMKID, dictionary attacks), concrete improvements in WPA3 (SAE, PFS, OWE), and what to do if your hardware doesn't yet support the new standard.
Read - 26 min
Public Wi-Fi Risks in 2026: What Your Hotel, Airport, or ISP Can Actually See
What public Wi-Fi operators see on your connections, how they can intercept unencrypted traffic, and the updated list of attacks documented in 2025–2026 — plus the VPN countermeasure that actually works.
Read - 17 min
Tor vs VPN: differences, how they complement each other, and real risks (2026)
How Tor and VPN work, what each actually protects, when to combine them (Tor over VPN or VPN over Tor), and the real limitations you need to understand before confusing anonymity with privacy.
Read - 16 min
MAC spoofing on public Wi-Fi: what it actually changes for your privacy
MAC address, offline tracking in shops, native randomisation on iOS/Android/Windows, manual spoofing per OS, limits against other fingerprints, and the legal picture in the UK/US/EU — the complete breakdown.
Read - 13 min
VPN kill switch explained: how it works and why it's non-negotiable
The kill switch cuts your connection the moment the VPN drops — preventing your real IP from appearing in the clear for 30 seconds. Here's the exact mechanism, OS variants, and pitfalls to avoid.
Read - 14 min
Mobile hotspot vs public WiFi: which is really safer in 2026
Compared attack surface between a shared 4G/5G hotspot and airport or hotel public WiFi, who sees what on the mobile carrier side vs hotspot provider side, real data cost, and the safest stack with a VPN.
Read
Sources & references
To dig deeper, here are the technical and institutional references we routinely consult.