How to work safely from a coffee shop
Working securely in coffee shops
Your personal security should always be a priority, along with your belongings and work. I have covered a few tips and some products that I personally recommend to keep yourself and belongings secure.
VPN
This is arguably the most important one to take on board here, which is why I cover it first. A VPN (virtual private network) essentially protects you by encrypting your data and masking the IP addresses. This hides your browsing activity, identity, and location, allowing for greater privacy and autonomy.
Even at home, a VPN is an invaluable tool for safeguarding your digital footprint and ensuring online privacy. A VPN essentially creates a secure tunnel that shields your internet traffic from prying eyes, such as internet service providers, hackers, or government surveillance agencies!
It has been known for hackers to practise on coffee shops as the wifi is often unsecure, so use of a VPN should be common practise for every one.
Currently the best and fastest VPN is NordVPN which was voted number 1 in 2024 by techradar.
Farroday Pouch
A faraday pouch blocks RF signals from being sent and received by electronic devices such as mobile phones, car keys, or laptops. Not only do you need to be cautious about the security of your tech, but with the increase in car theft, your car may also be at risk.
There has been a huge uplift in keyless car thefts, with thieves utilising modern technology to clone car keys from homes, places of work, and yep, coffee shops!
On average, it takes less than two minutes for a car to be stolen.
Car thefts are usually conducted by gangs rather than one person, so for the time it takes you to turn your back and grab a coffee or go to the toilet, your car key could be cloned by one thief and driven away by another, before you’ve even taken that photo of the latte art.
Positioning
Prying eyes are everywhere, I mean, that’s one reason why it’s nice to sit in a coffee shop sometimes, to people watch and take it all in. The last thing you need though, is someone looking over your shoulder when writing a member of staffs dismissal, bidding for a new contract, or have a customers personal details on your screen.
It’s best to position yourself so that you have your back toward a wall, where no can walk behind you. Always check for mirrors or large pains of glass, as these can often reflect your screen to the nosey people.
Camera Cover
Without getting too paranoid, some hackers can gain access to your internal camera. You can either puchase a sliding camera cover, or even just pop a piece of electrical tape or a sticker over it!
By all means, do not feel scared to enter a coffee shop to work after reading this article. These are simply a few recommendations. So, relax, enjoy the atmosphere, but always be slightly vigilant and use a little common sense!
If you have any other tips, hints, or products, then please let us know.