Using Mobile Data and a VPN

Your carrier's mobile data network is generally more secure than public Wi-Fi because traffic is encrypted between the phone and the cell tower, without the risk of fake or misconfigured networks that exists at a café or airport. Even so, for remote work or when handling sensitive data, a corporate VPN adds an extra layer by creating an encrypted tunnel between the device and the company's systems, so information travels protected no matter which network you're using. A useful nuance is that the VPN protects the content of the connection, but doesn't make you invisible or prevent you from installing a malicious app, so the rest of the good practices still need to be applied. When you have to choose between mobile data and an unknown public Wi-Fi for something important, such as accessing your bank or work email, mobile data is usually the safer default option.