These days, more and more hotels, airports and cafes are offering free, public Internet access. That’s great for getting your work done, but you’re also making yourself vulnerable to getting hacked.

If your computer is automatically set to connect to the first available network, turn that feature off.

If you’re traveling for business, use your company’s Virtual Private Network.

That way you’re connected to a specific, secure IP address, not the public one.

The good news is that VPN is also available through third parties.

One service called Hotspot VPN costs about $10 and works with laptops, iPhone and other mobile devices.

Another tip is to buy a subscription to a wireless provider, like Boingo or T-Mobile.

That way, you’re paying ahead of time.

And the last option is to avoid using public wireless altogether.

These days, you can insert a 3G wireless Internet card right into your computer—they’re not 100 percent safe, but it’s much harder for hackers to impersonate.

Get more information in our Travel Gadgets & Gear section.

Looking for more advice? Click here for more Daily Travel Tips.