Wakation Select · eSIM

Connect & Work Safely

Working abroad: your connectivity & security checklist

Email at a café, a team call from your stay. Review your accounts and devices alongside your data plan, so there is less to work out on arrival.

Wakation Editorial · Sources checked 2026-09-04

MOBILE DATA

eSIM & local data

INTERNET & WI-FI

Know your connection

WORK SAFELY

Accounts & devices

eSIM, Wi-Fi and VPN: what is the difference?

eSIM
Connects you to a mobile network abroad. Check device compatibility, data allowance and tethering conditions.
Public Wi-Fi
A shared network at a stay or café. Confirm the network name with staff and check HTTPS and account protections.
Personal VPN
Encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server. It still needs internet access and does not eliminate phishing or every other risk.

Before departure and when you connect

  1. Confirm the network name

    Ask hotel, café or airport staff for the Wi-Fi name (SSID). Turn off automatic joining for public networks and forget the connection after use.

  2. Enable extra account protection

    Check MFA (multifactor authentication) on email, cloud and work accounts. Confirm that your approved sign-in method will work abroad before departure.

  3. Update before you leave

    Bring your operating system, browser and essential apps up to date on a trusted connection. Follow your organization’s device-management rules.

  4. Prepare for a misplaced device

    Lock the screen when you step away. Check device-finding and backup settings, and keep your work-device incident contact handy.

  5. Keep work accounts off shared computers

    Use an approved device rather than a hotel lobby PC. Access work files and applications only through your organization’s permitted methods.

  6. Use approved connections for sensitive work

    Check for encryption such as HTTPS and do not dismiss warnings. If required, use your organization’s approved VPN or secure-access tool. A VPN does not address every risk.

  7. Let company policy lead

    Check rules for your destination, external networks and personal devices. If access is blocked, ask your IT team rather than bypassing restrictions.

Do I always need a VPN on public Wi-Fi?

Public Wi-Fi is not automatically unsafe. HTTPS encrypts communications with many websites but does not guarantee that the site is trustworthy. Consider the apps you use, the protection you need and company rules.

Can a personal VPN replace access to a company network?

No. It is not a substitute for an approved company VPN or remote-access system. Ask your IT contact and use approved connections on work devices.

Plan your connection and your workday

Before departure, prepare an eSIM or an approved backup data connection. An eSIM supplies mobile data. Check compatibility, tethering and usage limits separately from account-security settings.

Prepare your eSIM