matthew864•24d agoProlific Poster

My friend's laptop got hit at a coffee shop in Denver last month

We were just working on a project when his screen froze and a ransom note popped up. He had connected to the public Wi-Fi without using a VPN. It cost him over $300 to get his files back from a backup, and he lost a whole day's work. Now I won't even check my email on public networks without my VPN turned on first. What's your go-to method for staying safe on free Wi-Fi?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_jenkins24d ago

Yeah, the ransom note popping up is the worst. I had my login info stolen at an airport lounge once from just checking social media. Now my VPN is always on before the wifi even connects, no exceptions. It's just not worth the risk anymore.

alice_foster24d ago

My airport rule is VPN first, then coffee.

terryb1110d ago

Ugh, that's the modern travel checklist. Secure the digital perimeter, then get the life-giving caffeine. I picture people doing a full cybersecurity setup while standing in line at Starbucks, phone in one hand, boarding pass in the other. It's like we're all secret agents now, but the mission is just to check email without getting hacked.