what does "unsecured network" mean, in a hotel? should I worry?

It means the network is not using standard security such as WPA 2 and is open.

This could be a security issue allowing others to intercept your WiFi traffic.

Don't use them for anything requiring logins or sensitive information.

Correct - but choose your VPN Service provider wisely. A VPN connection will protect your network traffic from interception on the public (untrusted) WiFi network, but is still vulnerable to interception where it is decrypted at the VPN Gateway.

In life, nothing is “free”, there is always a cost. VPN providers have to pay to run their service, and this cost has to be financed either (a) through you paying a subscription, or (b) through some other manner of “monetising” your connection - be that through advertising, or through some other [perhaps] dishonest means.

Choose a reputable “paid” VPN Service - from a provider that you have chosen to trust. Choose a VPN provider with a verified (and audited) no-logs policy. There are many to choose from, some offer more “features” than others, whist some prioritise speed and reliability over features. Also consider “where” the provider has VPN Gateways; for banking purposes, you’d be advised to choose a provider with a VPN Server locations (Gateways) at least in the country where you do your banking.

You’ll have many reputable VPN providers from which to choose, but an example of one of the better ones is hide.me. Purchase your subscription from their website - not the Apple App Store or from in-App purchasing - and you’ll be able to use your subscription with up to 10 simultaneous device connections. hide.me isn’t the cheapest - and is a long way from being the most expensive.

I hope this information and clarification is helpful to you.

It means that anyone could be monitoring data sent through the network; you should avoid sending credit card numbers or other especially-sensitive information over it.

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It basically means it is easy to see you data. I recommend using a VPN, there are some free ones out there but that will encrypt you data so no body should be able to see it.

No, I’m saying that PIA is one of the major VPN providers that you might wish to consider - but the suitability of their service offering is for you to decide.

As this relates to your privacy, it is not for me (or anyone else within this User Community) to state whether it should be trusted. If your own research into this provider’s reputation doesn’t give you cause for concern, then it may be a good choice for you.

As to your supplementary question, all you network traffic can be viewed by your VPN service provider - unless your network traffic benefits from other layers of encryption - such as TLS.

All your DNS data, which identifies the sites and pages that you visit, are also visible to your VPN provider - unless a further layer of encryption is applied to DNS (such as DNSSEC, DoT or DoH); this might not be a concern for you - but for others, represents a privacy issue. Many users neither consider nor give much thought for the security of their DNS queries.

Fundamentally, you have to decide who you trust - and with what - or take additional measures to protect your data. VPN is only one of many protective technologies that can protect much, but not all, of your data from interception. VPN provides essential protection in hiding all your data from casual snooping or interception on public (untrusted) WiFi networks - which represent substantial risk of data theft.

PIA is one of the major VPN choices.

If you do some research (you’ll find many VPN comparison websites) to check their services and reputation, you can make your own decision as to its suitability for your needs - or in comparing with alternatives.

Use a VPN service. Data sent through it will be encrypted and not readable by other people on the hotel's network.

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