How to Protect Your Privacy When Using Coworking Spaces

Coworking spaces offer flexibility, community, and convenience, but they also introduce privacy risks that most remote workers never think about. Shared Wi-Fi networks, open floor plans, communal printers, and rotating neighbors create an environment where your personal and professional data is more exposed than you realize. Here is how to protect yourself.

Why Coworking Spaces Are a Privacy Risk

When you work from a coworking space, you are sharing infrastructure with dozens or hundreds of strangers. Unlike a traditional office where IT controls the network, devices, and physical access, coworking spaces leave most security decisions up to you. The risks fall into three categories: network security, physical privacy, and data leakage through shared resources.

A 2025 study commissioned by Kensington found that 23% of senior IT decision-makers identify visual hacking as a security concern, and nearly half of those work in organizations with flexible working policies that include shared environments. Meanwhile, AI-powered phishing and deepfake attacks are growing more sophisticated, making the data you inadvertently expose in shared spaces more valuable to attackers than ever.

Secure Your Network Connection

The shared Wi-Fi network is the single biggest vulnerability in any coworking space. Even if the network requires a password, every member has that same password, which means anyone on the network can potentially intercept your traffic.

• Always use a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server, making it unreadable to anyone else on the shared network. This is non-negotiable in a coworking environment.
• Ask about network segmentation. Better coworking spaces separate member networks from administrative and IoT networks. If your space does not do this, treat the Wi-Fi like a public hotspot.
• Verify the network name. Attackers sometimes set up rogue Wi-Fi networks with names similar to the legitimate one. Confirm the exact network name with staff before connecting.
• Consider a mobile hotspot. For highly sensitive work, tethering through your phone's cellular connection avoids the shared network entirely.
• Check for WPA3 encryption. Ask the community manager what encryption standard the Wi-Fi uses. WPA3 is the current best practice; WPA2 is acceptable but older.

Prevent Visual Hacking and Shoulder Surfing

Visual hacking, where someone reads sensitive information directly from your screen, is one of the most underestimated threats in open workspaces. A 2025 field study found that shoulder surfing happens naturally in everyday environments as a byproduct of physical proximity, not just through deliberate snooping.

• Use a privacy screen filter. These thin overlays darken your screen for anyone viewing from an angle, making it nearly impossible to read from a neighboring desk. They cost around $30 and are one of the best investments you can make.
• Position yourself strategically. Sit with your back to a wall whenever possible. Avoid seats near high-traffic areas like kitchens, entrances, or printer stations.
• Lock your screen every time you leave. Even a 30-second trip to refill your coffee is enough time for someone to glance at an open document. Use a keyboard shortcut (Windows key + L on Windows, Command + Control + Q on Mac) to lock instantly.
• Reduce font sizes on sensitive content. If you are reviewing contracts, financial data, or personal information, smaller text is harder to read from a distance.
• Be aware of phone calls. Speaking about client details, passwords, account numbers, or personal information on a call in an open space is a privacy risk. Use a phone booth or private room for sensitive conversations.

Handle Shared Printers and Devices Carefully

Shared printers are a surprisingly common source of data leaks. Documents left in the output tray can be read by anyone passing by, and some printers store copies of recent print jobs in their internal memory.

• Stand at the printer while it runs. Never send a print job and walk away. Collect your documents immediately.
• Use secure print release if available. Some coworking spaces offer keycard-authenticated printing, which holds your job until you tap your card at the machine. Ask if this feature exists.
• Avoid printing sensitive documents entirely. If you can review a contract or financial statement on screen, do so. Every printed page is a physical copy that can be lost, photographed, or stolen.
• Shred before you leave. If you do print, use the shredder before discarding any documents. Never throw sensitive papers in a regular trash or recycling bin.
• Be cautious with shared USB ports and charging stations. Plugging your phone into an unknown USB port can expose your device to data theft or malware. Use your own charger and plug into a wall outlet instead.

Protect Your Physical Privacy

Coworking spaces are social by design, which means people will learn your name, your company, and what you do. That is fine for networking, but be intentional about how much personal information you share.

• Use a business email, not a personal one, when signing up for the space or its events.
• Be selective about community directories. Many coworking spaces maintain member directories. Opt out if you do not want your profile, photo, or contact details shared with the entire membership.
• Watch what you display on screen during video calls. Browser tabs, desktop notifications, and bookmarks can reveal personal information to anyone nearby or on camera. Close unnecessary tabs and turn on Do Not Disturb before joining a call.
• Do not leave personal items at hot desks. Notebooks, sticky notes with passwords, business cards, and USB drives should never be left behind. Treat a coworking desk like a hotel room: take everything with you.

Strengthen Your Digital Security Baseline

The protections above address coworking-specific risks, but they work best when layered on top of strong general security practices:

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every account, especially email, banking, and cloud storage.
• Keep your operating system and software up to date. Security patches close vulnerabilities that attackers actively exploit on shared networks.
• Use a password manager to generate and store unique passwords for every service. Never type passwords manually where someone could watch.
• Enable full-disk encryption. BitLocker on Windows and FileVault on Mac ensure your data stays protected if your device is lost or stolen.
• Turn off Bluetooth when not in use. Bluetooth can be exploited for proximity-based attacks in crowded spaces.

Remove Your Personal Data from Public Databases

One often-overlooked risk of coworking is that the people around you can easily look you up. If your home address, phone number, and personal email are published on data broker sites, a quick search can turn a casual coworking acquaintance into someone who knows far too much about you.

This matters especially in shared spaces where you may interact with strangers daily. Removing your personal information from data brokers limits what anyone can discover about you, whether they are a curious neighbor, a social engineer, or someone with worse intentions.

PrivacyOn continuously monitors and removes your personal data from over 100 data broker sites, reducing your public exposure and making it harder for anyone to connect your professional presence in a coworking space with your private life. Combined with the security measures above, it creates a strong boundary between your work life and your personal information.

The Bottom Line

Coworking spaces are not inherently unsafe, but they do require you to take responsibility for your own privacy in ways that a traditional office does not. Use a VPN, install a privacy screen, secure your devices, be mindful of what you print and share, and reduce the amount of personal data available about you online. These habits take minimal effort once established, and they protect you not just in coworking spaces, but everywhere you work outside the home.