Hotspot Shield & other VPN's..

The_stingemeister

As a frequent user of public wifi I thought it was time I had more security on my (android) phone.

With H Shield is it just a case of installing it and away you go. Or do you have to go into VPN settings and enter VPN server? I initially went into settings but didn't know what to put for server name? And what is the difference between PPTP, L2TP/IPSec PSK etc?

I assume its still unwise to do financial transactions on H Shield?
Maybe that would be best left to your own personal data plan.

bluesnake

you should be able to set up a vpn from your phone to your PC at home and you can do banking that way.

Another way is use teamviewer and control your home pc via your phone and probably safe to do banking that way.

For android you do get the very anonymous (but not private) TOR bundle - actually 2 Android apps - the proxy and browser, plus there is a third message app that I have never used - all free, but probably should not use it for banking etc.

PPTP, is a single direct link like a modem connecting to your isp. the telephone number is one dedicated line with some encryption - the first version of vpn

L2TP secures the connection between 2 computers but does not secure or encrypt the data

IPSec this encrypts the data

PSK for all this encryption there must be decryption too, so they have to pre-share a common password aka key which is called a psk. each device must share the same secret key.

The_stingemeister

bluesnake wrote: »

you should be able to set up a vpn from your phone to your PC at home and you can do banking that way.

Another way is use teamviewer and control your home pc via your phone and probably safe to do banking that way.

For android you do get the very anonymous (but not private) TOR bundle - actually 2 Android apps - the proxy and browser, plus there is a third message app that I have never used - all free, but probably should not use it for banking etc.

PPTP, is a single direct link like a modem connecting to your isp. the telephone number is one dedicated line with some encryption - the first version of vpn

L2TP secures the connection between 2 computers but does not secure or encrypt the data

IPSec this encrypts the data

PSK for all this encryption there must be decryption too, so they have to pre-share a common password aka key which is called a psk. each device must share the same secret key.

Thanks. Wouldn't using , say, Giffgaff, orange, vodafone etc be safe for financial stuff? Thinking of getting a low data allowance monthly plan so could do this on that (ie Giffgaff £5pm). Then use wifi for "unsensitive" browsing.

Don't know which server you'd enter for the VPN settings 'though if I did use wifi?

bluesnake

Depends on the level security, privacy and anonymity you want. Wifi is less secure, especially the ones in pubs and hotels, but mobiles 3g etc. - not too sure that there is so much difference with home ones.

ISPs are already logging all the sites that one visits and the times. The isp/mobile company paying someone £1.50 a day to look after a bunch of servers in India or ??? does not guarantees it is secure, especially since many isp and governments etc. will have deep packet inspection capabilities

Realistically speaking soon as you see https it is secure. Hopefully 256 bit as 128 is not that secure any more. If you visit the site https://www.bank.com in search of cash, your isp will have many logs of you visiting bank.com, and will show https://www.bank.com/fdff884, not https://www.bank.com/withdrawals4ladyboys. Soon as you leave https://www.bank.com and visit mse, you isp will log http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=4254993

If you do not want you isp, its staff, (and soon virtually every police man in real time will be able see the sites visited from your house, phone, and physical mail received with the return address etc.) to know that you visit http://www.ladyboy pages, then you used TOR

Some banks go further than https and also issue card code readers, where upon you put it a code from he screen into the reader, then the response back into the computer, so ssl 256 may also have been deemed as weak?