Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

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-- Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 15:04:

Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

When I mean "safe" I'm wondering if it is any less safe to use a free WIFI spot to check your bank balance, order things online with a credit or debit card, enter sensitive info for job applications, etc. than it would be to do it from your home or apartment via a dedicated ISP?

I am planning on using my laptop a-lot while on the road at free WIFI areas, and am new to this world, so this is why I ask.

Thanks.

Posted by placebo on May-09-2005 15:43:

Re: Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

Posted by born2trance on May-09-2005 15:55:

Re: Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

quote:
Originally posted by DaveSZ
When I mean "safe" I'm wondering if it is any less safe to use a free WIFI spot to check your bank balance, order things online with a credit or debit card, enter sensitive info for job applications, etc. than it would be to do it from your home or apartment via a dedicated ISP?

I am planning on using my laptop a-lot while on the road at free WIFI areas, and am new to this world, so this is why I ask.

Thanks.

why would it be less safe @ a free net cafe hot spot? the only thngs that would be "in danger" is THEIR, the cafe's, files, server, etc...

nothin on ur hdd's

Posted by ketone on May-09-2005 16:13:

Re: Is it safe to use WIFI internet cafes?

quote:
Originally posted by DaveSZ
When I mean "safe" I'm wondering if it is any less safe to use a free WIFI spot to check your bank balance, order things online with a credit or debit card, enter sensitive info for job applications, etc. than it would be to do it from your home or apartment via a dedicated ISP?

I am planning on using my laptop a-lot while on the road at free WIFI areas, and am new to this world, so this is why I ask.

Thanks.

Most people don't realise it but Wi-Fi is not as secure as they would like it to be. Your HDD should be fine assuming you have an anti-virus cliejnt running. The information you risk are usernames, passwords, credit card numbers etc which are transmitted over open non-secure airwaves.

Here is an interesting article.

Click

Posted by mezzir on May-09-2005 17:01:

hah i was on my computer in a local coffee shop and i saw one guy from my high school there on his computer
went to my network places and then proceded to browse through his entire hard drive, create a txt file somewhere really random that said 'h4xed', and waved hi to him on the way out

Posted by UWM on May-09-2005 17:02:

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 17:20:

quote:
Originally posted by mezzir
hah i was on my computer in a local coffee shop and i saw one guy from my high school there on his computer
went to my network places and then proceded to browse through his entire hard drive, create a txt file somewhere really random that said 'h4xed', and waved hi to him on the way out

That answered my question, thanks.

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 17:21:

If I had a firewall, could it stop Mezzir from haxing me?

Posted by jonze on May-09-2005 17:28:

quote:
Originally posted by DaveSZ
If I had a firewall, could it stop Mezzir from haxing me?

no, hes too 1337

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 17:28:

Basturd

Posted by mezzir on May-09-2005 17:29:

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 17:30:

quote:
Originally posted by DaveSZ
Basturd

Who loves teh cock so much he's a pro.

Posted by mezzir on May-09-2005 17:33:

pro: i love the cock
con: i only love my own, and my woman might love it more anyways

Posted by raph93 on May-09-2005 17:39:

if you have your own FW on your computer, filtering your own ethernet adapter so it's secure, if you don't it isn't

Posted by Nell on May-09-2005 17:50:

About 20 academics, business executives and members of government agencies begin meeting Monday behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., to discuss their concerns about wireless security.
Called "A Roadmap to a Safer Wireless World," the forum will bring together people who typically don't communicate with each other, yet make decisions that impact the fate of wireless technology. One such seldom mingling pair is business executives and academics, said Eugene Spafford, director of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance Security (CERIAS), the organization sponsoring the forum.
"In academia, we are used to looking out 10 or 15 years" and are accustomed to investigating things businesses don't particularly care about, Spafford said. "We are seldom consulted about these issues. We just sit there and say 'We told you so.'"
The forum will take place behind closed doors next Monday through Wednesday.
This will be a private meeting because of the sensitive nature of the topics being discussed, he said. The group will make public a report on issues and suggested answers to them later this year.
Participants include representatives from the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice's computer crime unit and the National Security Agency.
Academics attending include Spafford and David Farber, a former chief scientist at the Federal Communications Commission. Executives from Nokia, Intel and Cisco Systems are also scheduled to attend. The names of all but two of those attending are being kept private.

Some of the issues likely to come up include the growing threat of viruses spread among handheld devices, he said. One such incident took place last year when a virus struck customers of Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo. Wireless messages were sent that, when opened on a cell phone, forced the phone to dial the country's equivalent of 911.
The growing use of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) in handsets and cars is also a topic likely to be discussed, Spafford said. GPS is used to broadcast an exact geographic location.
GPS is now used mainly in cars, making it possible to send travel directions or even localized weather forecasts. A consortium of car manufacturers wants to use the same GPS to send advertisements from local businesses as a car passes it, Spafford said.
"A lot of people would see that as a privacy violation," he said.
Wireless local area networks that use the 802.11b standard are also a likely topic. These wireless networks are in about 30 million homes and businesses, a number likely to double in the next few years. But these systems are notoriously insecure.
"These wireless markets are happening, whether these things are secure or not," he said.
The meeting comes shortly after national electronics retailer Best Buy's move to pull wireless cash registers out of its 492 stores because of security concerns.

Posted by Sunsnail on May-09-2005 22:18:

summary please

Posted by DaveSZ on May-09-2005 22:21:

quote:
Originally posted by mezzir
pro: i love the cock
con: i only love my own, and my woman might love it more anyways

I know it's pro who loves the cock, and not that you are a cock pro.

I was kidding you esse/holmses/mang.

Posted by nchs09 on May-09-2005 22:22:

ph34r t3h hax0r

Posted by insecurity on May-09-2005 23:43:

Posted by Xenocreator_PG_ on May-09-2005 23:54:

I downloaded Winsip from a dodgey side the other day & I opened it & it was a freaken trojan horse virus. In the last month or so ive had a few messages pop up saying H4xorz are trying to access my computer!

What types of fuckwit nerds tries to access peoples computers all long? I heard there's like heaps of kids in indonesia that sit on their computer all day getting off on fucking shit up.

Posted by DaveSZ on May-10-2005 02:51:

Eh maybe I should have sprung for a mac, since nerds tend not to h@x them as much, but oh well.

I just wasn't sure about the compatibility issues etc, and I got an amazing deal on a dell.

quote:
Originally posted by Xenocreator_PG_

What types of fuckwit nerds tries to access peoples computers?

Mezzir.

Posted by Dj Spiel on May-10-2005 07:32:

Security at WI-FI cafes.

Considering---> Banks,EBay,PAYPAL,& all other places with personal info hold information you are fine. As long as it is HTTPS *Secure 128 Bit Encryption*

Because even if someone was running a Sniffer they wouldn't be able to capture your password.

I do recommend Using A firewall... the one windows has built into Xp is ok. Or Zonealarm Pro.

Also..make sure you are not sitting in a way where people can look at your keystrokes. get a private spot in a corner.

Turn off file sharing on your pc. And run AV!!!

Remember Security is tears and tears of DEFENSE

AV
FIREWALL
Anti Spyware program.
Close all default ports on windows... U do this u will be ok.