Wifi Internet connection

slinga

We like to take our laptop on holiday so we can check emails, watch TV now and again, check restaurant reviews, look for road routes etc etc.

Most places we stay have wifi internet connections as do some coffee shops, hotels etc etc.

For some connections a log in and password is required, others are just 'available' but might say unsecured internet connection or something similar.

If I've got a Firewall, AV and antimalware on my laptop are any of these wifi connections dangerous to use???

Could I log in to say my bank account and feel just as secure as I do on my wifi connection at home??

esuhl

In theory, wifi access points can be compromised so I'd avoid using them to transmit any sensitive data.

I haven't really looked into it, but you could set up a VPN on your home PC, which would enable you to use random wifi access points because you would create a fully encrypted "tunnel" to the internet connection on your home PC. So then, you "should" be as safe as you would be at home.

Tyler_Du

Just to be on the safe side I wouldn't access my banking online while abroad in an internet cafe, too dodgy imho.

enfield_freddy

Tyler_Durden_UK wrote: »

Just to be on the safe side I wouldn't access my banking online while abroad in an internet cafe, too dodgy imho.

why? is it a common site to see a hacker , all set up and waiting in the average Mc Ds

esuhl

enfield_freddy wrote: »

why? is it a common site to see a hacker , all set up and waiting in the average Mc Ds

No. The point is you don't see them.

Contrary to popular belief, hackers no longer need to whip out an acoustic coupler to hack your device. Criminals can be surprisingly discreet when they don't want to be caught.

Anyway, the "hacker" could just as well be the operator of the access point, sitting on Bondai Beach, and far away from his restaurant franchise operated by innocent employees.

Swipe

In theory, if your bank uses 2 factor authentication it will be secure. All https traffic is encrypted anyway between you and the web site, and if someone did manage to get a keylogger on to your laptop, the 2 factor authentication would mean that your credentials could only partially be captured.

Personally, I'd still be cautious about accessing my bank via open wifi. In fact, I never perform financial transaction via my phone, but that's just the paranoia in me as I have some non-play store apps on it.

slinga

I'm not talking about computers in Internet cafes.
I'm talking about using my own laptop and a third party wifi connection.

Is unsecured wifi the same as wifi in which you have to input log in data including a password?

esuhl

slinga wrote: »

Is unsecured wifi the same as wifi in which you have to input log in data including a password?

Yes -- the password just authenticates you to the wireless access point. It doesn't encrypt your internet traffic.

slinga

esuhl wrote: »

Yes -- the password just authenticates you to the wireless access point. It doesn't encrypt your internet traffic.

This is interesting.

So on my laptop when I click the 'connect to internet' button a number of possible internet connections get shown.

Some are secured, i.e requiring passwords, some are unsecured and don't require passwords.

So I could just connect to the unsecured internet and away I'd go.

And the faster connections are usually shown before the slower connections.

So I could use a faster connection than mine and the person whose connection it was wouldn't even know I was using it????

esuhl

slinga wrote: »

So I could use a faster connection than mine and the person whose connection it was wouldn't even know I was using it????

No. Your connection wouldn't be hidden, so the operator of the access point would know that someone had connected to it (if they checked).

They also might have created an insecure network deliberately so that people like you might try to connect. They could then sniff your usernames, passwords, and any other data you transmit.

slinga

esuhl wrote: »

No. Your connection wouldn't be hidden, so the operator of the access point would know that someone had connected to it (if they checked).

They also might have created an insecure network deliberately so that people like you might try to connect. They could then sniff your usernames, passwords, and any other data you transmit.

Thanks.
But I'm referring to my condo unit when I'm overseas and my neighbours who I've known for years and wouldn't want to use their internet anyway when in UK.

How can you check who is using your internet connection?

And if it's possible to sniff out usernames, passwords, and other data how do I stop this when I use internet in hotels and rented apartments when on holiday???