Public Wi-Fi

[Avery Todd]

List,

I know it's "officially" off-topic but since we all use our computers to post,
I thought some of you might be interested in this. Especially if traveling.

Avery

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  Public Wi-Fi: Is it Safe?
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On a slightly less somber note, those of you who use wireless Internet
access in public places should take some simple precautions to make
sure you're not broadcasting your passwords and other personal info to
others in the vicinity.

Recently I met with a group of Internet professionals, all of us
sporting laptops with wireless connections to the hotel's access
point.  On the second day of the conference, one of the attendees
put up a slide on the overhead showing logins and passwords from
a dozen of the attendees.  Needless to say, many jaws dropped open.

He was running a "sniffer" program that anyone can download to spy
on the Internet traffic floating around in the air.  Fortunately, he
was a trusted colleague, and was nice enough to tell us that we were
caught with our virtual pants down.

---> So here are a few tips to help you surf safely in Starbucks.

First, be aware that (almost) ANYTHING that you type or any info that
appears on your screen while you're using a wireless connection can
be seen by others nearby.

If you are accessing a page that requires a login & password, or if you
are entering ANY personal data (credit card, SSN, etc) make sure that
you are on a secure site.  That's easy enough -- just check that the
web address begins with HTTPS instead of the usual HTTP -- and your
information will be safely encrypted before transmission.  As long as
you're on a page with an address that begins with https, the data you
send and receive is protected from sniffers and snoopers.

But be on your guard, some web-based email providers have a secure
login page, but after you're logged in the access reverts to normal
non-encrypted mode.  So any email you send or receive while on a
wireless connection is out in the clear.  Google's GMail and Yahoo
Mail are examples of webmail services that work this way.  (Hotmail
doesn't even offer a secure login option.  Thanks, Microsoft!)

Oh, and there are the "shoulder surfers" to watch out for.  Just
like when you're entering your PIN code at an ATM, you need to keep
an eye open for anyone who might be glancing over your shoulder
while you hunt and peck in the airport or coffee shop.

And finally, Beware of the Evil Twins!  Aunty Spam's Net Patrol
warns of a scam where a hacker may put up a bogus copy of the wi-fi
hotspot's login page.  Learn how to stay safe from this attack by
reading this helpful article:

http://www.aunty-spam.com/wifi-hotspot-evil-twins-mimic-wi-fi-hotspots-and-
steal-your-data/