BOSTON -- College students and plenty of business people rely on laptops equipped with wireless to get the job done, but being smart about wifi means taking steps to protect yourself.

NewsCenter 5’s Susan Wornick reported Monday that just last week Brookline, Mass., became the first city in the country to be totally wifi, border to border.

Logan Airport has wifi service, as does Roslindale. But if you’re using your laptop in public, be sure you only surf the web. Typing in passwords, credit card numbers or other personal information in public places like this makes it easy for thieves to pick that information out of thin air.

“When you go to a hot spot, your computer will talk to a public network,” said Michael Maggio, CEO of Newbury Networks. “While it's in the air, it is just like any other wireless network and it is available for someone to intercept. A lot of the data and information is not encrypted."

The same rule applies at your home, where encryption and securing your wireless network are the keys to keeping your privacy protected.

John Bonomo, of Verizon, said, “Only computers in that house are able to use that connection,” once it’s encrypted. “Let’s face it, we are transferring documents, transferring Social Security numbers. This is very private information.”

And that means if you live close to your neighbor, in a condominium, or in a dormitory, those near you could be stealing not only your Internet service, but any personal information on your computer.

“It’s something that you want on just your own personal network. Even though you might be friendly with your neighbors and friends, you don't want those other people basically piggy-backing on your internet connection,” said Bonomo.

Most companies secure your home network automatically, but you should ask to be sure. You can also install software that will notify you if anyone's trying to steal your service. Many of those programs are free.