Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: What are the dos and don'ts for using public Wi-Fi?

When on the road, I never worry someone hacking my Windows machine. I've downloaded the free Linux operating system Ubuntu 8.04 and added it to my Vista machine. There is nothing on the Ubuntu partition that would be of interest to a snooper, so even if they could hack into my computer, they'd gain nothing. But the fact is, most hackers would not attempt to hack a Linux machine. There are too few of them. They'd look for Windows machines.

Absolutely correct.. I've a HP laptop at home.. and it came loaded with WIndows Vista.. but I rarely use it.. I'm a student so I take my laptop with me wherever I go.. so installed OpenSUSE 11.. It is a wonderful operating system like Ubuntu.. It even features to encrypt your whole hard-drive.. No, viruses, intruders, spyware,trojans and adwares.. my system as well as my papers are safe.. Try that.. or try Ubuntu.. you will certainly like it..Be sure to update it at home before going for the trip..

I have a Gamin 650. I consider it to be a toy.

The data base is incomplete and loused up and you are (or will be) lost without it.

Garmin does not maintain or update the data base even when the error(s) are obvious. They do sell an alleged update on disk for around $60.00

Forget the whole thing.

Hi i have done a few road trips using wifi from many sources and the problem is always the same you just dont feel secure.
I found my answer by getting a 3G USB modem as it uses the mobile phone network.
The reason i use one is i can then setup my own security ans do not need to use other peoples wifi conections with their unknown security settings.
If this is not the answer for you then a few pointers for wifi.

Make sure your antivirus is upto date.
Use a good software firewall (not windows firewall as it only protects you from incoming problems)i use zone alarm from zonelabs.com as it is free for private individuals.
Use your common sense and dont open emails that contain pictures etc unless you have been prior notified by the sender that they will be included in the next email (and you trust the sender)
make a backup of your system on disk then make another keep one at home take one with you that way if all goes wrong you can at least take the computer back to how it was.
Make a restore point before connecting to unknown hotspots, that way if the hotel or starbucks change system settings or install programs on you to enable their system to work, you can restore back when you leave.
hop[e this helps regards :Paul

You can find out on your laptop, when you log on to a hotspot it will ask you a few things, but as long as you watch your laptop, no one can access your files with out you giving them permission to log into your system. There is software out there that people can use for hacking, but if you have a virus protection on your laptop, it will prevent anyone from putting any software on your system to view or copy your files. anytime someone wants to log into your laptop it will appear on your screen for you to allow them or not. when you are in star bucks or a restaurant you are pretty safe because people are not there long. but in a hotel, some use different accessing to there WiFi connection, this is to prevent others from logging into your computer. You are as safe on the road as you are at home, you just need to pay attention while logged in. I hope this helps you with your question.

Hangtown Media
RAS

Unless you have some super-secrets on your computer, enjoy the trip and don't worry much about the open status of most hot spots.

If you have financial or other private data, don't connect anywhere (even at home) wirelessly, unless you are using some really, really good encryption. (WEP doesn't cut it!)

Be sure to back up your laptop before hitting the road; bad things can happen travelling cross-country - some worse than being "hacked".

the eee pc is perfect for hot spots. with its limited hard drive you cant store anything very important there and i certainly do not do my banking on it. and you don,t have to "lug" it around.Its light as a paperback book

Hi Margaret,

The list of Dos and Don'ts you're looking for is really no different from that of the Dos and Don'ts of using the Internet. Whenever you connect your computer to the Internet, whether it be via Wi-Fi, cable, DSL or dial-up you should always follow these guidelines:

1. Install a firewall. Windows Vista and XP Service Pack 2 have a built-in firewall that is perfectly sufficient. In Vista, when you connect to a new Wi-Fi network you will be given a choice of what type of connection it is, Public, Work or Home. Always choose Public as it will set more strict rules for the firewall. Don't waste your money on third-party software here. They are often bloated and will slow down your computer. Mac OS X also has a built-in firewall and is sufficient as well.

2. Install an anti-virus. If you're using Windows an anti-virus is pretty much a must-have. Mac users often can get away with no anti-virus without concern (and love to brag about it) but there is a strong growing trend of exploits for Mac vulnerabilities where an anti-virus for Mac will also soon be a must-have. Also, its a good idea to have anti-virus installed on Mac if you have both Windows and Mac machines as you risk infecting your Windows machines through your Mac. Most of the virus' you will encounter on the Internet can easily be avoided with a basic anti-virus. However time and time again the three best anti-virus' are Norton, Kaspersky and McAfee.

3. Install an anti-malware/spyware detector. Microsoft offers a free detector called Windows Defender that works quite well. Windows Defender is included with Windows Vista but if you're using XP you will have to download it separately. I am unfamiliar with Mac OS X malware/spyware detectors, however, most of the anti-virus programs listed above now include malware and spyware detection.

4. Stay away from Internet Explorer on Windows and Safari on Mac. Internet Explorer is an open door for hackers and Safari has proven more recently to be the same for Mac. So don't use them. Firefox and Opera are excellent alternatives and often provide better features.

Now to the WiFi specific stuff...

5. Use websites or programs that send or receive sensitive data sparingly. On Wi-Fi, all communication with the Internet is obtainable. That includes information like what website you're visiting, the conversation you're having with a friend or relative or the password you entered into your online banking account. If you have to send sensitive data make sure the website has an SSL connection (https address). SSL connections are reasonably safe over WiFi but they are still not foolproof.

So that may not seem all that different or new but thats all you really need to stay safe on WiFi.

Hello Margaret, my advice is to forget WI-FI, and go with Verizon's usb modem. ( Broadband/National Access ). That way you can skip all the WI-FI hangouts, and do your own thing. i.e. Stop at an Interstate Rest Area, and go online. Have a good/safe trip.

Running a full system scan ,with updated definitions should detect the trojon,and ideally it should heal ,clean or quarantine it .Contact your antivirus technical support as soon as possible .

Wi-Fi can never offer 100% security. Many hotels provide a computer terminal for its customers for free. I use this facility when away from home wherever possible!
However, you need to know whether the area you visit will enable you to use your lap top wireless adaptor to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots - for the answer visit www.myhotspots.co.uk
The use of Bluetooth will increase your security risk; it is best to avoid this.
While hacking into a computer is a difficult process, there are people out there who know what to do - and it only takes one to create havoc - so ensure that your security protection is up to date at all times

Instead of answering from a technical point of view, I will address a few items people can do to make their use of unsecured networks less of a threat. Others will do a fine job of describing the system security measures; these are intended as "social security measures"

Things to do while connected to a secure network to prepare for your insecure adventure:

1. If you may have to use a credit card online, use one such as Citibank that allows you to get virtual account numbers. Each virtual number can have a 2 month expiration date a separate credit limit from your master account, and its own 3 digit security code. You can get several of these in advance while you are on a secure connection, then use them when you have to make purchases over an insecure connection. (Caution, though the Citi card appears to have the best virtual card program, you have to use the option in small print at the bottom instead of the one in big print in the middle of the box. Go to "advanced options" and choose "Generate virtual number with time & $ limit")

2. If you use similar passwords for all of your financial accounts, change the passwords of those accounts you may access while on the road, and don't make them too easy. Make sure the password is at least 8 characters and that at least one of the characters is a numeral and at least one is upper case - but don't make them all numbers, all upper case, repeating or sequential. After you return to your secure connection, change them again if you have used them on the road.

3. Any accounts that may be used on the road, make sure you log into those accounts while you are still on your secure network, and look for the option to remember you login name. Many of them now will store your login name as an encrypted string, so when you are on the road you can type in the password without ever transmitting the unencrypted login name from your machine. That will make it more difficult for someone listening in to your transaction being able to recognize or duplicate your login/password. The same encrypted login name being sent from a different machine will have the same public key, but cannot know the private or stored key needed to decrypt the login name.

4. After your last connection to your financial sites from your home computer, connect to any financial sites with your laptop and login. Often the financial site will challenge you with an extra security connection if your previous login was from a different computer. This way you won't have to enter the answer to your extra security challenge while you are on the unsecured network.

5. Move any files that contain personal financial information from your laptop's hard drive to a memory stick, then do a "disk cleanup" to make sure your recycle bin and temporary files that may contain private information from previous sessions are cleaned up. Then when you are on the road, make sure you remove the memory stick from the laptop before you connect to any unsecured router. Use the stick only when you have disconnected.

6. Password protect your laptop by requiring a power-on password. This is done in the system setup utility often accessible during power up of your laptop. Dell machines normally use F10 to access it, HP normally uses F12 and many other use either F2 or the DEL key to enter the system setup utility.

7. Be sure to turn off file and printer sharing on your laptop before you take it on the road, if you have it enabled. This is generally done in the "network connections."

8. If your computer is configured to automatically login when you boot it, or if it does not require a password, reconfigure it to ask for a password - and don't make the password too obvious.

9. If you use an email client such as Outlook Expess, configure it to download headers only instead of the entire email. That way you can screen the emails you will open while on the road, and you can avoid opening up any emails that may contain private financial or personal information or passwords. Ordinarily the mail client downloads the entire message, possibly making the contents of the message vulnerable to snooping.

10. Make sure all operating system and application security patches are up to date, and that your antivirus and other threat prevention/detection programs are completely updated. When you are on an unsecured connection is not the best time to do the updates.

11. Check your Microsoft Security Center to make sure there are no outstanding alerts about possible security vulnerabilities on your computer. If there are any, address them before you leave.

Once you are on the road, observe the following precautions:

1. Watch when you are connecting that the name of the wireless router you are connecting to is the real router name. These days the desk or the clerk will have that information available. I saw one hijack attempt in which the strongest signal was coming from "Comfort net", but the correct connection was to "Comfort Inn." I was in the back corner of the Comfort Inn and their signal was much weaker at that point. The stronger signal was from someone in a van in the parking lot - until the police arrived.

2. Watch your back. It may seem "un-cool" or paranoid to check for people watching your online activities, but it is much better to be un-cool than a victim. Position yourself such that your body or your bag prevents others from clearly seeing your keyboard and screen. Be aware of who may be watching you - be a little paranoid even.

3. When computing in a public place, turn down the backlighting on your screen so the screen is still readable to you, but someone farther away would have a tough time reading it. You may also wish to use a higher-resolution display setting so the letters on the screen appear smaller, and therefore more difficult to read from a distance. (Keep reading glasses handy instead of using giant fonts.)

4. Avoid connecting to sites that may have your financial & personal information unless you absolutely need to use them.

5. When you no longer need to use the connection, right-click on the wireless icon in your system tray and actually disconnect. Just closing your browser does not disconnect you.

6. Keep a log of any purchases you make and the account you used, then reconcile them with your statements as they arrive after your trip.

7. Don't leave your computer unsecured in your room while you are gone - and certainly not logged in and ready to go. Make sure it is shut down and that you have configured it to require a power-on password and a windows login password.

Things to do when you get back to your secure environment:

1. Change the password on any email accounts that have been used while on the road. If someone was snooping, they could have intercepted your email client as it connected to your mail server. Changing the password when you get home makes sure that anyone who may have gained access to your email account can no longer do so.

2. Change the passwords on any financial accounts you used while on the road.

3. Watch your statements and make sure the only charges made were the ones you logged. Follow up on any inconsistencies or charges that you may not have made.

4. Cancel any unused virtual account numbers you created before you left, and change the dollar maximum to match what you actually charged to them.

There are probably other ideas too, but these should be considered "basic." Computers are very useful on the road, and they can be very safe as long as you take precautions.

Hey Robert-

this is the first time i ever got a clue as to what that box meant (and i've clicked many thinking i wouldn't have to type it again).

but your part one number 3 leaves questions. if i do what you propose from my secure network at home, does that mean if i used my desktop at home and used a public terminal (such as at a librairy) on the road, that i couldn't log on?

i ask you for further explanation on this point.

thanks,
gtmark1

I would go with 64bit if I could afford it.
But Microsoft offer Windowsxp pro (64bitsystem) that works!
Ive heard that Vista Is Ready, but and operating system is one thing and the (Fuctioning Software) you will use with it, is just not there yet. If you give it another year, (Functioning Software), such as, cd programs by other than microsoft, just are not there yet.