Question about using a VPN at coffee shops

I was at a Starbucks in downtown Seattle last week and saw someone log into their bank account on the public wifi without any protection - is there a simple free VPN app that actually works for stuff like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

sean_murray17d ago

Free VPNs are a bad idea for banking. They make money selling your data. You're trading privacy for "protection" which defeats the whole point. Better to just use your phone's mobile hotspot if you have data. Or get a paid service for like 3 bucks a month. The "free" ones will log your bank session anyway.

richard_hall16d ago

Wait, aren't most modern banking apps already using https encryption? The VPN part doesnt really add any protection for the actual login or transaction data, that's all handled by the secure connection already. The real risk with free VPNs is exactly what you said - they're logging everything and selling it. But the hotspot thing isnt necessarily safer either if you're on an open network or one that someone else set up. The main thing a VPN does is hide your IP from the bank and your ISP, which isnt really needed for banking security. Just stick to the bank's official app on cellular data or your home wifi and you're fine.