EDC uses the Cisco VPN Client because the organization holds potentially sensitive financial information.

"My recommendation would be that in any public wireless network, whether it be the carrier operated 3G network or the Wi-Fi network at Starbuck's, that business users should connect to a corporate VPN to encrypt that traffic," said Mark Tauschek, Senior Research analyst at the London, Ont.-based Info-Tech Research Group. "Over the 3G or 2.5G network that data is actually pretty secure."

But many 3G users also connect to Wi-Fi networks, said Giovanni Forte, Trellia's CEO and co-founder.

"One can use 3G very securely and not necessarily need a VPN, but what we see is if a user is using 3G, typically they are very sophisticated," Forte said. "He will most likely have Wi-Fi at home most likely would like to connect to Wi-Fi and knows how to do that at a coffee shop at a hotel room, et cetera. That opens up other security (issues) and that's something IT needs to deal with."

Another security concern for EDC is customs officers in foreign countries demanding to open files on notebook PCs.