Cyber security is always a concern for many. While searching the web on a friend’s WiFi router/hotspot or in a public place, one wonders if whatever they are browsing to search is safe.
The safety of any search history on any WiFi network depends on the knowledge and skill of the “WiFi owner” in question. I’d call it about 98% a no go the answer to the title of this article. The other 2% is a possibility by looking at the router and/or network traffic only–still no. Searches are encrypted. A pro could look at router logs or use a packet sniffer tool (like Wireshark) to see that you had traffic to and from Google – but not what you searched for.
However, if you went from Google to “hotbabesUg” (I just made that up, I have no idea if it exists or not), then many networking professionals would at least be able to analyze and determine that you were at a questionable site – and for how long. Be aware, that this involves tedious, boring work. It’s not something the average tech does for fun or idle curiosity, someone should really be invested in spying on you. And this is the case for a private WiFi nerwork.
Let’s take it one step further and assume your searches are being done on a school, cafe, or corporate network device (public WiFi networks). The answer then becomes a qualified yes. Maybe. There are many ways to “see” what you are doing in that scenario, most of which are 100% legal depending on the country. In some cases, an administrator could simply login as you, open your browser and look at your search history. Click on links, and see exactly what you looked at. Easily.
The chances are still quite small that anyone would bother to do so even on a public WiFi network like a corporate network. Mind you, Network admins are usually busy people. They spend time fixing geeky things and helping users solve problems –unless some sort of red flag comes up. Something smelly or scary enough so that someone with proper authority says: “Find out what he’s up to!!” In that case, frankly… all bets are off.
