Wireless hotspots are changing the way people work. These wireless local area networks (LANs) provide high speed Internet connection in public locations—as well as at home—and need nothing more than a mobile PC such as a laptop or notebook computer equipped with a wireless card.

In fact, hotspots are an everyday connection method for travelers and remote workers to browse the Internet, check their e-mail, and even work on their corporate networks while away from the office.

Hotspots range from paid services, such as T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless, to public, free connections. Hot spots are everywhere, including:

  • Coffee shops
  • Restaurants
  • Libraries
  • Bookstores
  • Airports
  • Hotel lobbies
  • and more public places...

But they all have one thing in common—they are all open networks that are vulnerable to security breaches. And that means it's up to you to protect the data on your PC. In this article, we cover a few tips to make working in public locations more secure.