Do you need a VPN on public Wi-Fi?
What HTTPS already protects at a café, what a VPN adds and how to handle the Wi-Fi sign-in screen.
When you join the hotspot
Ask the venue for the network name. A convincing name alone is easy to copy. Many hotspots open a sign-in page before allowing an internet connection. If that page asks you to install a certificate, a security profile or an unfamiliar app on a personal device, use mobile data until you can verify why it is needed.
What the café network can see
HTTPS encrypts the contents exchanged with a website, including ordinary form submissions on secure pages. It still matters that you have the correct site. The padlock on a lookalike website only confirms an encrypted connection to that address.
A VPN adds encryption between your device and its VPN server for traffic sent through the tunnel. This helps hide destinations from others on the local network. You still rely on HTTPS for the journey from your browser to the website and on the VPN provider to handle traffic responsibly.
Using it during a trip
Set up the VPN on a trusted connection before travelling. Once the hotspot’s normal sign-in is complete, connect your VPN and check its status in the app. Repeat that check after a laptop wakes or a phone switches between mobile data and Wi-Fi.
For a work account, use the connection your employer supplies. If a browser displays a certificate warning or a sign-in page looks unusual, close it and use a known connection to reach the service.
Further reading
- US Federal Trade Commission’s guide to public Wi-Fi
- Electronic Frontier Foundation on deciding whether to use a VPN
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