Online Publicly? Security: WiFi or Cellular?

[SPROINGY]

If you are in a public place, e.g. Coffee Shop, Hotel, etc., that offers free WiFi, and you have the *choice* of going online (using a VPN), will there be any difference, security-wise, between using their WiFi or going online using Cellular?

My gut instinct tells me that Cellular is more secure, but all I have is gut instinct... Maybe there’s no difference between the two. Once upon a time, phone calls were ‘eavesdropped,’ so... I guess my question should be, “Which choice (if any) provides a *higher* level of security?” There are no absolutes.

Would anyone care to comment on this? Tech details interest me... Thanks!

 

[twerppoet]

The hardware and expertise it takes to spoof or snoop a cellular network is far beyond what is needed to do the same with wi-fi. Not impossible, but much more difficult.

That said, a VPN makes this mostly irrelevant. Yes, a cellular connection plus VPN is a bit more secure than wi-fi and a VPN, but not amazingly so.

Think of it this way. If you’re house was a wi-fi network, it would have some fairly standard locks on the doors and windows. If it was a cellular connection the doors have stronger locks, the windows have bars, and there is an alarm system. A tougher nut, but an expert can still rob your. VPN is like putting everything valuable in your house into a professional time locked vault. At that point, whether the thief can enter the house or not is mostly a matter of esthetics. Your valuables are secure from all but super thieves and the makers/owners of the vault.

Oh, yes, that means you need to trust your VPN provider.