Ideally, you and your staff are never going to be looking at any sensitive data anywhere but at the office, on a closed, secure network, or at home. But that’s not always practical. We have deadlines to meet and we might have to meet them while at the airport or on the subway heading into work. A bugfix might not be a big enough project t justify a whole trip to the office. When you absolutely have to work on a sensitive project in public, keep these tips in mind:Invest in a Privacy Screen
If your laptop didn’t come with a privacy screen installed, it may be a good idea to invest in one. These screens block visibility from odd angles to ensure that nobody can see what’s on your laptop but you.
Check for WPA or WPA2
As a general rule, you shouldn’t trust any public wireless network that isn’t encrypted with WPA or WPA2. If a network doesn’t use one of these encryption methods, then any other user on that network can see what you’re up to on any unencrypted website.
Use Mobile Websites, Not Apps, for Transactions on Public Networks
Tech researchers have found that many mobile apps encrypt data incorrectly. It’s generally safer to use a company’s mobile website rather than trust an app.
Don’t Use Public Computers for Private Business
If you find yourself at the library without a working laptop or device, avoid the temptation to use a public computer. Even if nobody is looking for vulnerabilities in the network, you’re going to spend the rest of the day wondering if you remembered to sign out of everything before you left. It’s a little like thinking you left the stove on at home.
It’s best not to engage in any sort of sensitive activity in public in the first place, and most tasks can wait until you get home. But, if you are forced to check sensitive data in public, there are ways to play it safe.
