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How safe is Mobile Broadband

Been reading a lot of late about how unsafe Wifi can be, whether it's public Wifi or Google Street View Cars Hacking Wifi etc.

But how safe is it to use Mobile Broadband (3G) via your mobile phone, iPad or Lap/Netbook.

Is it safe to shop or do banking with one, can they be hacker as easy as public WiFi.

Which is the safest method to get online when out and about, Public WiFi or 3G?

Comments

  • busenbust
    busenbust Posts: 4,782 Forumite
    On your laptop machine u could use a VPN perhaps? Just be sensible with regards to your anti-virus/malware/firewall -- ensure all is up to date. Personally, I'd be loathe to bank online, shop online etc. on a 'public' wi-fi. No necessity.
  • 3G would be safer. The data could still be captured and later decrypted (few hours for 3G traffic). But I don't think there is a way of getting yourself into a man-in-the-middle position to perform the same sort of attacks on 3G data as your would wifi.

    I do need to point out though that Google Street View cars didn't hack anything. They collected data which was being sent unencrypted. The focus the media has taken is completely wrong - they shouldn't be bashing google, rather using this as a reason to remind people to secure their wireless routers.
  • Depending on the public wifi, it could be very secure, really depends on the encryption they use.

    As for 3G networks, I would imagine it is much more secure than a public network.

    To hack it, you would have to hack into the network of your provider and then decrypt your banking data?

    It seems a very extreme measure to go to, I don't think it would be any less secure than any home connection, in fact probably a lot more secure than a lot of home connections.
  • Chorlie
    Chorlie Posts: 1,029 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Photogenic
    So 3G is safer.

    If you have a home Wireless Router, which you use for PC or Laptop and you have upto date virus & firewall software so they are safe.

    Would your mobile phone / iPad be as safe, if the router has a password (WPA-SPK) etc, but there isn't any virus/firewall software of this hardware.
  • busenbust
    busenbust Posts: 4,782 Forumite
    If you have a home Wireless Router, which you use for PC or Laptop and you have upto date virus & firewall software so they are safe.

    ^^It's all relative I suppose -- having your wits about u and just using common sense. https security -- is it there?? for example.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Not something i would consider from a mobile .
    I like to wipe all the relevant data after connecting to any site that has my money .


    jje
  • kwikbreaks
    kwikbreaks Posts: 9,187 Forumite
    IMO you need to worry more about the physical security of your mobile device than any weakness in the 3G encryption - especially if you are in the habit of letting it store passwords.

    Public WiFi - if unencrypted it's wide open to abuse. I'd still not use it for financials even if it was encrypted.
  • busenbust
    busenbust Posts: 4,782 Forumite
    busenbust wrote: »
    On your laptop machine u could use a VPN perhaps? Just be sensible with regards to your anti-virus/malware/firewall -- ensure all is up to date. Personally, I'd be loathe to bank online, shop online etc. on a 'public' wi-fi. No necessity.
    kwikbreaks wrote: »
    IMO you need to worry more about the physical security of your mobile device than any weakness in the 3G encryption - especially if you are in the habit of letting it store passwords.

    Public WiFi - if unencrypted it's wide open to abuse. I'd still not use it for financials even if it was encrypted.
    Good advice and me neither ! Completely unnecessary (if u already have a machine at home I mean ).
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