While traveling you’re always using someone else’s network. Who is listening?

Using phone tethering

Tethering your laptop to your phone’s cellular connection is safer than free wi-fi, and maybe faster too.

Free wi-fi

Not secure. Not. Not. Not. Don’t do anything sensitive.

With a VPN

I can’t recommend a commercial VPN service because I’ve never used one. Some of my client projects require a VPN to access the client’s network, so I’ve just used that.

With an SSH tunnel

Open a shell and SSH into a server you control:

ssh -D 8888 [email protected]

• The -D flag establishes the connection with dynamic port forwarding.
• The 8888 sets the port for the connection.

Then setup the SOCKS proxy to catch outbound connections on port 8888:

1. Open “System Preferences” app
2. Click “Advanced” button
3. Click “Proxies” tab
4. Check “SOCKS proxy” option
5. Type server: localhost
6. Type port: 8888
7. Click “Ok” button
8. Click “Apply” button

Reference

• Ashley Schroder: A Recipe to avoid having your Twitter, Facebook, CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet account stolen at an Airport or Conference