I have a Virtual Office. . .

. . . wherever I am, there's my office.  As a result, I rely a lot on public WiFi to send and receive e-mails from my notebooks.  Are there special security measures I should be taking? And am I asking for more trouble if I use IM?

Wireless hot spots can be a hotbed of snooping and hacking. Although there are tools available that can alert you when someone is trying to peek at your files and/or e-mails, the best defense is seamless data encryption. Some e-mail applications feature built-in data encryption, others don't, so check with your e-mail application vendor before deciding what gaps you need to fill in.  For the best protection, 128-bit or higher advanced encryption standard (AES) protection is nearly impossible to crack.  It helps protect that data you send and receive online, from e-mails to passwords. For additional information feel free to visit, http://www.sharewareconnection.com/titles/data-encryption.htm and/or www.pc-encrypt.com.

Using Instant Messaging (IM) in a public WiFi area is more risky proposition, though presumably you're not using Instant Messaging to communicate business secrets. Software tools are available that provide public IM sessions, provided the person on the other end is using IM protection too.  A couple of products include CryptoHeaven™ and Hushmail™.

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NOTE: None of these suggestions and/or product names where endorsed by the manufacturer listed above. The opinion expressed here is an independent suggestion to handling the above mentioned question.