A hotel lobby or café can be a handy place to catch up on work between trains or meetings. But the Wi-Fi is shared, other customers may see what’s on your screen, and someone could walk off with a laptop left on the table while you’re ordering coffee.
It’s easier to check your laptop’s security settings before leaving home than to troubleshoot problems on an unfamiliar network.
Sort Out the Basics Before You Travel
Install software updates at home rather than relying on patchy hotel Wi-Fi. You’ll get the security fixes without a badly timed restart during a call.
Set your laptop to lock automatically and require a password or biometric sign-in. Check disk encryption too: FileVault on a Mac, or Device Encryption or BitLocker on Windows. This helps protect stored files if a powered-off laptop is stolen.
Back up the documents you’ll need and confirm you could recover them on another device. If your laptop has a location or remote-lock feature, set it up before leaving. For a work laptop, check your employer’s rules on remote access and storing files.
Know Which Network You’re Joining
A Wi-Fi name doesn’t tell you who runs the network. Ask staff for the correct guest network rather than guessing. Be wary if a login page asks you to install software or a security certificate.
Check that websites use HTTPS, which encrypts traffic between your browser and the site. A VPN can also limit what the local network operator can see by encrypting traffic between your laptop and a VPN server.
Do note that a VPN won’t spot a fake login form or stop someone looking over your shoulder.
If you can’t confirm the network’s name, use your phone’s hotspot instead if your data plan allows it. For company work, follow your employer’s connection rules. To find out more about VPN and how it protects your connection, feel free to visit this page.
Pay Attention to Sign-In Requests
Working on the road often involves logging in to email and shared files. A fake sign-in page can be convincing, so use bookmarks or type the address yourself instead of following unexpected login links.
Enable multifactor authentication on important accounts. A security key or authenticator app makes a stolen password less useful, though you should reject unexpected approval requests. It’s one part of sensible network security practices, alongside access controls and protected connections.
Avoid opening confidential files on shared hotel computers or printing them at reception without your employer’s approval. And if you receive a sign-in approval request you didn’t initiate, reject it. Don’t approve it simply to clear a notification while you’re rushing to catch a train.
Choose the Table as Carefully as the Hotel
Choose a table where passing customers can’t easily read your screen. A privacy filter can help in cramped spaces, though someone directly behind you may still be able to see. Save sensitive calls for your room; headphones can’t stop everyone nearby from hearing your side of a conversation.
When comparing affordable places to stay, look at room photos and recent reviews for signs of a proper desk and dependable Wi-Fi. A bargain room is less useful when the only place to work is a noisy lobby.
Keep your bag close and take the laptop along whenever you leave the table.
Before You Leave, Check Your Setup
Before leaving, do a quick check:
- Files: Save your work and check that uploads have finished.
- Laptop: Lock it, then check the table and sockets for anything you’ve left behind.
- Wi-Fi: Disconnect and disable automatic joining if you won’t use that network again.
If the laptop goes missing, notify your employer if work files or accounts are involved. Use any location or remote-lock features you’ve enabled and follow workplace recovery instructions.
Spend that final minute checking the table and your uploads. A train journey is a poor place to discover that the presentation you finished never synced.
