Warwickshire Businesses Encouraged to Join Warwick as a #WiFiSavvy Town

Warwickshire County Council’s Community Safety Team and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner recently asked Warwickshire businesses and residents if they were #wifisavvy as part of Safer Internet Day 2017.

The #wifisavvy campaign asked residents to think about how they access free wifi connections when they are out and about in the county. The scheme was piloted in Warwick and was a resounding success. It saw businesses that offer free wifi displaying posters with a commitment to their customers that:

  • They have changed the admin password of their router from its default setting;
  • They have disabled remote management to the router completely;
  • They are committed to using reliable encryption (WPA2 as minimum); and
  • They ensure that their router is regularly updated with the latest software.

In addition to this, all customers were advised:

  • To be aware of their surroundings, to make sure no one is watching them type when using wifi in public locations;
  • To get the correct Identification for public wifi to ensure that they do not inadvertently access spoofed or insecure wifi connections;
  • To keep their internet security up-to-date and to always use a firewall; and
  • To avoid using free, public wifi to do things like personal banking or online shopping.

A number of cafés, pubs and business centres in Warwick are already involved in the scheme.

The campaign is now being rolled out across the County and the team are asking businesses that offer wifi to look at how this is managed and get involved with the campaign.

Cllr Howard Roberts, Warwickshire County Council portfolio holder for Community Safety, said:

“It has been heartening to see the level of engagement from businesses in Warwick with the #wifisavvy campaign which has put the town well on track to becoming totally aware of the issues associated with offering free wifi.

“Now that this initiative is rolling out to the whole of the Warwickshire, it would be fantastic to see us as the first totally #wifisavvy county in the UK.”

If you are a business that offers wifi and would like to display the #Wifisavvy poster and window sticker please get in touch with the Warwickshire’s Business Crime Advisor alexcharleswilliams@warwickshire.gov.uk

If you would like more information on the scheme, visit the Advice Sheet section of the Warwickshire Business Watch website www.warwickshirebusinesswatch.co.uk