The office isn't just the office anymore. Your team works from home, from the library, from a busy coffee shop, sometimes from another state entirely. Those spots (call them the "third place," somewhere that's neither home nor the office) are great for flexibility and focus. They're also where company data is most exposed, and a cafe simply can't be treated like a locked office.
Public Wi-Fi is a favorite hunting ground for the people who'd love to get at your information, and the risks aren't only digital. The fix isn't to ban remote work. It's to give your team clear, simple rules and the right tools. Here's the guidance we help businesses across the Denver area put in place so people can work from anywhere without putting the company at risk.
The trouble with open networks
Free Wi-Fi is the whole reason a lot of people choose a cafe or coworking space. But those networks usually have little or no protection, and even the password-protected ones lack the controls a real company network has. That makes it possible for someone nearby to quietly capture what's traveling over the air: passwords, emails, whatever's being sent.
Worse, attackers set up fake networks designed to look legitimate. They'll name one "Free Wi-Fi" or borrow the name of the cafe you're sitting in, hoping you'll connect. Once you do, the person running that network can see everything you send, what's called a "man-in-the-middle" attack, because they've quietly slipped between you and the internet. The lesson for your team is simple: never assume a public network is safe, even a password-protected one.
Make a VPN the rule on the road
The single most useful tool for working safely away from the office is a VPN. A Virtual Private Network wraps everything leaving the laptop in a private, scrambled tunnel through the public internet, so even if someone intercepts the traffic, it's unreadable to them.
Provide one, and require people to switch it on any time they're working outside the office. The trick is to make it effortless: if it's clunky to start, it'll get skipped. Wherever possible, set the VPN to turn on automatically so it isn't left to anyone's memory, and put controls in place so company systems simply won't connect without it. Removing the chance for human error is what makes the protection dependable.
The over-the-shoulder risk
Not every threat is technical. The person at the next table can read your screen just by glancing over, "visual hacking," and it's about as low-tech as it gets while still being effective and nearly impossible to trace.
People badly underestimate how visible their screens are. In a crowded room, sensitive client details, financial spreadsheets, and unreleased plans are all sitting in plain view, and a curious neighbor can even snap a quick photo. The easy fix is a privacy screen, a filter that makes the display look black from the side, so only the person sitting directly in front can read it. Issue one to everyone who works remotely.
Keep the laptop physically safe
An unattended laptop is an invitation. In the office you might wander off for water and find your machine right where you left it. In a coffee shop, that same habit can cost you the device, and the data on it, in seconds, because thieves watch for exactly that distracted moment.
- Keep the laptop within reach at all times, and never ask a stranger to "watch it."
- Use a cable lock if you'll be parked in one spot for a while: not foolproof, but a real deterrent, especially in shared workspaces.
- Stay aware of the surroundings; the goal is to make your device the harder target in the room.
Mind what you say out loud
Cafes are noisy, but voices still carry. Talking through confidential business on a call in public is a quiet risk: you never know who's within earshot, and a competitor or bad actor could pick up something useful. Encourage people to step outside or into a private spot, like their car, for any sensitive conversation. Headphones keep the other side of the call private, but they don't hide what your own voice is saying to the room.
Write it all down
People shouldn't have to guess the rules. A short written remote-work policy sets the expectations clearly and gives you something to train and point back to. Make sure it has dedicated sections on public Wi-Fi and on physical security, and explain the why behind each rule so it lands as helpful rather than bossy. Keep it somewhere everyone can easily find it.
Then revisit it once a year. The threats keep changing, so the guidance should too: update it, reshare it, and keep the conversation about safe remote work alive rather than letting the policy gather dust. Our piece on securing company laptops pairs well with this if you want to go further.
Freedom with a safety net
Working from a "third place" is good for flexibility and morale. It just asks for a bit more care. Prioritize public Wi-Fi safety and a little situational awareness, give your team the right tools, and you get the upside of working anywhere without the downside. Well-informed people are genuinely your strongest defense.
If you'd like help setting up secure remote access and a policy your team will actually follow, that's exactly what we do. We're glad to talk it through in plain English, with no pressure.