putty -D 8000 tim@mybox.com

Then I configure Firefox to use a local SOCKS proxy running on localhost:8000. Voila, instant secure tunnel. Followed by a quick trip to whatismyip.com just to make sure.

Agreed — the VPN setup is really the best way to go. I make it a rule never to interact with client servers in public unless I’m routing through my own (secure) machine.

Still, VPN can be kind of a hassle and isn’t 100 percent safe (basically no solution is 100 percent hacker proof when you’re using public wifi). I ended up getting the EVDO internet plan from Verizon, which is a little pricy at $60 a month, but as far as I know guarantees an encrypted connection wherever you go. Its actually amazingly fast for something that communicates over the cellular networks — fine for development work but I wouldn’t recommend sending gigabytes of data over it at once.

Plus, it also means you can work where free wifi isn’t offered (I take mine up to my roof deck, out of range of my apartment’s WiFi signal, a few times a week). Something to think about. I used to get really frustrated trying to find free, reliable WiFi at coffee shops where I live. Now I just open my laptop and go to.