Embodiments of a system and method for establishing secure communications between devices via a wireless network are generally described herein. In some embodiments a device may transmit a public use credential to a second device to establish a secure device-to-device communication session. In some embodiments a device may prompt a user to provide a network-specific credential or utilize a public use credential to establish a communication session with an access point. In some embodiments a communication module in a device may automatically establish a connection with an access point utilizing a public use credential in response to a previously established relationship with the access point. In some embodiments a plurality of devices may establish unique encrypted communication connections with an access point utilizing an identical public use credential. In some embodiments an access point may provide a certificate identifying the access point to a device utilizing a public use credential.