Internet Security Tip....

http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/562

This is nothing new, but it does highlight a few things you need to be aware of.  Any information you send over unencrypted channels can be sniffed and captured.  When using public wifi, make sure you use HTTPS whenever possible.  Where this is not possible, then the information you send/receive and cookies created can be grabbed and used with abandon.  Another alternate solution is to use some sort of Virtual Private Network, like OpenVPN.  This allows you to create a secure encrypted tunnel back to a trusted location where you can then do your surfing through.  However, even there, any information you send/receive in the clear can be captured by your ISP or someone else further up the stream, and just about everything on the Internet passes in the clear.  Tunnels like this are very complex and difficult to create and get working correctly even for experienced IT professionals.  Keep in mind that using public wifi is sort of like having a conversation in a crowded public place, and If you do not want people to hear something you say, then do not say it.