Any time you need to communicate with a MySQL server across a network that is public (such as the Internet) or otherwise open to traffic sniffing (many wireless networks), consider using some form of encryption. By doing so, you can make it far more difficult for anyone who might try to intercept the connection and either sniff or spoof the data. As an added benefit, many encryption algorithms result in a compressed data stream. So not only is your data more secure, but you're also better using the available network bandwidth.
Re: Connection Encryption and Tunneling
Any time you need to communicate with a MySQL server across a network that is public (such as the Internet) or otherwise open to traffic sniffing (many wireless networks), consider using some form of encryption. By doing so, you can make it far more difficult for anyone who might try to intercept the connection and either sniff or spoof the data. As an added benefit, many encryption algorithms result in a compressed data stream. So not only is your data more secure, but you're also better using the available network bandwidth.