Protecting your computer with passwords and by disabling sharing
Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Running antivirus software
Using a personal firewall
Security is a big concern for mobile Wi-Fi users, as it ought to be. It's a fact of life, however, that most problems with mobile computing do not have to do with technology, but rather with human interactions. Perhaps someone sees you typing in confidential information while you are "Wi-Fi-ing" in a hotel lobby or a crowded airport waiting area. Or, it can be as simple as theft of an easily portable computing device. These issues are not much different because your mobile computing device is equipped with Wi-Fi (someone can still read confidential information over your shoulder even if you are not unwired). But it is a fact of life that mobile computers equipped with Wi-Fi do get out and about more so security is an even bigger concern for them than for the run-of-the-mill non-Wi-Fi laptop.
This chapter explains the dos and the don'ts of traveling with a Wi-Fi enabled laptop. I'll tell you what you can do to protect yourself and your equipment. I'll also tell you what software you should be running to Wi-Fi with the best of them for fun and profit, but most of all, safety.