Let's be honest, we’re all glued to the internet. Whether we’re grabbing a flat white at a café or trying to be productive on a train, getting online is a must. But that public Wi-Fi we’re so grateful for? It’s a playground for hackers. And for the companies we work for, an employee’s innocent personal hotspot can be a massive internet connecting sharing security headache.

This guide is here to help everyone. We’ll cover how you can protect yourself on sketchy shared networks, and then we’ll chat about why your IT department might be disabling the hotspot on your work phone (and why it’s actually a good thing!).

Part 1: For You - Keeping Your Data Safe on Public Wi-Fi

Jumping onto free Wi-Fi can feel like a win, but it’s a bit like drinking from a public fountain – you don't know what's in it. Your personal details, passwords, and private photos could be up for grabs. Don't fret, though; staying safe isn’t rocket science.

• Get Yourself a VPN (Your Digital Bodyguard): This is your absolute best defence. A VPN scrambles all your data, making it unreadable to any snoopers on the same network. It’s a non-negotiable for any internet connecting sharing security.
• Look for the Little Padlock: Always check that the website address starts with https:// and has a padlock icon. No padlock? Don’t enter any personal information. It’s as simple as that.
• Switch Off File Sharing: You’re in a coffee shop, not your office network. Make sure you turn off file and printer sharing so other people can’t go poking around your laptop.
• Beware of Fake Networks: It’s scarily easy for someone to set up a network called "Starbucks_Free_WiFi" right next to a real Starbucks. Always confirm the official network name with staff if you’re unsure.
• Don’t Disable Your Protections: It sounds obvious, but keep your firewall and antivirus software switched on and up to date. They’re a crucial safety net.

Following these steps will make your life on public Wi-Fi a whole lot safer. But what about when the internet connecting sharing security risk isn't a stranger in a café, but the person at the next desk?

Part 2: For Businesses - The Real Reason Hotspots Are a Headache

We’ve all been there, the office Wi-Fi is crawling, and tethering to your phone is a lifesaver. But from a company's perspective, this innocent act is a security nightmare. It completely bypasses all the defences they’ve painstakingly put in place.

Why Uncontrolled Hotspots are a Company's Worst Nightmare:

• Sneaking Past Security: Your office network is protected by firewalls and filters. When you tether, you drag your work laptop outside that secure castle wall, exposing it to every threat on the internet.
• Data Leaks: Sensitive company information can be sent over an unsecured connection without anyone in IT having a clue. It’s a data breach waiting to happen.
• Compliance Disasters: For businesses in finance or healthcare, this kind of unmonitored data flow can lead to massive fines and a real organisational headache.
• Opening the Door to "Shadow IT": It lets employees use apps and services that the company has deliberately blocked for security reasons.

The solution? Companies need a smart way to manage their devices. This is where powerful Enterprise Mobility Management platforms come into play.

How to Stop the Hotspot Problem with VantageMDM

For the IT folks in the room, shutting down this risk is surprisingly straightforward with a good Android MDM Software like VantageMDM. With a few clicks, you can prevent company-owned Android devices from being used as unofficial routers.

Here’s a quick guide on how to do it, based on the official VantageMDM help docs:

A Quick Guide to Disabling Tethering:

• Log in to your VantageMDM dashboard. This is your mission control for all the company devices.
• Head over to ‘Policies’. This is where you set the rules of the road.
• Either create a new policy or edit an old one. You can apply this to everyone or just to certain teams—like the sales lot who are always on the road.
• Click on the ‘Restrictions’ tab. You’ll find all the things you can lock down in here.
• Find the ‘Tethering & Mobile Hotspot’ option. It’s right there in the list, we promise.
• Switch it to ‘Restricted’. Easy as pie. This one action massively boosts your internet connecting sharing security.
• Save the policy and watch it sync. Once the device checks in, the hotspot feature will be greyed out and unusable. Problem sorted.

Disallow Tethering Configuration: Block users from configuring tethering settings in their devices.

This restriction works in device owner mode and it requires Android 5 or later. It also works on Knox enrolled devices with Knox API level 2.0 or later

 

Disallow NFC Outgoing Beam: Block users to beam out data from apps using NFC.

This restriction works in both device owner and work profile modes and it requires Android 5.1 or later. It also works on Knox enrolled devices with Knox API level 6.0 or later

This isn’t about being the fun police; it’s about protecting the company with internet connecting sharing security. And remember, this is just one feature. A solid MDM solution can do so much more, from locking a device into a single app using Kiosk Software to managing the tricky balance of personal phones with a robust BYOD Security strategy.

We're All in This Together

Staying secure online is a team effort. We all need to be savvy on public networks, and businesses have to provide safe, reliable ways for us to work without opening up the door to cyber-nasties.

So next time you get frustrated that your work phone’s hotspot is disabled, remember the poor IT team trying to keep everyone's data safe. They’re probably just having a rubbish day dealing with a security alert that could have been avoided!