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Photo credit: jpbader ^[2]

You’ve probably heard that Starbucks is now giving its card holders 2 hours [daily] of free wi-fi access in over 70,000 stores across the US. If you want more info, take a look at their FAQ’s ^[3].

But, before you rush out and start surfing the Web at your local coffee spot, you might want to think about how secure your laptop is.

In case you don’t know, it is really easy for someone to see – and record – what you’re doing online. All it takes is a packet sniffing ^[4] program. Packet sniffing is comparable to a wire-tap; the only difference is that it’s done on computer networks instead of telephone lines.

But, before you get all paranoid, don’t forget that even though people can watch what you are doing while you’re enjoying that triple shot latte, it’s more than likely that no one cares.

However, if you do want to protect your data, one simple method is to create a virtual private network, or VPN. Basically all a VPN does is encrypt the information sent over the Internet, both incoming and outgoing, and stops others from viewing your private information.

A free product called Hotspot Shield ^[5] is available (for PC’s and Mac’s) if you want to give it a shot.

May the force be with you.