Privacy for provider using hotel wifi?

[Repairman-Jack]

I'd trust hotel (or any other free wifi) about as much as a fart after drinking the water in some third world country, but its not because I'm worried the "hotel dick" is sitting in a back room drinking redbull and sniffing packets. Those networks are open and easily sniffed.

In the past I rarely worried about using this site or TOS, there is minimal information to be gained. Now I subscribe to a VPN service (no I would not use a free one, nothing is free, they have to make money, they are most likely selling your information, exception to this would be an open source VPN)

While using a public/open wifi I'd NEVER access banking or financial accounts.

Originally Posted by KerryHutchins

Sorry if this has been covered but I couldn't find a comparable thread.

Just wondered what security concerns a provider (or client, for that matter) could have in using a hotel's free wifi. Besides exposing your password, just logging onto P411, for example, could give the house dick a clue as to what is happening in room xyz.

Something that crossed my mind.

[ronrocket]

For the truly paranoid, connect through a phone hotspot, while running a VPN, then run tor for the browser.

[eyefo]

Much of this talk is for fun... right... I mean geek types comparing notes in "what if" scenarios.

The thing is, hiring or going to see an escort is not illegal.

Unless you are some drug kingpin, sex slave trafficker or other significant crime figure... why on earth is LE going to waste time and money tracking you as you legally go into a hotel to spend time with an escort (as much as they'd likely know unless you have a big mouth).

I would add, that in the event you WERE a "big fish", they can get you regardless of how sophisticated you are or think you are.

Recent example, mighty impressive how fast they found the bomber in Austin... had him under surveillance for 36 hours, which means they figured out who he was pretty damn quick.