Ahh, the joy of portable computers. Being able to grab a coffee, fancy pastry and sit down in a comfortable environment, and take in the energy of the others around you while getting some work done. Or getting some tasks completing while you are waiting at the airport. Great scenario, but most work these days involves connecting to the internet, and how can you do that safely using public wi-fi? With a bit of preparation and wireless security smarts, you can get quite a bit of work done at that coffee-shop or airport.
Be Smart Do not access sites that concern your online banking, investments, or private activities that you might not want others knowing about when you are using Wi-Fi in a public location. Thieves can easily sniff and see all data sent back and forth from your computer through the internet. Be Aware of Low-Tech Thievery Be conscious of your surroundings. Shoulder-snoopers can see the sites you are accessing and maybe copy down your password. They may later contact you with enough information to bait you into giving them more. Use a Firewall Make sure you have your Windows firewall active or that of another company installed and active, such as Norton or Panda, especially when you have wifi security concerns. Watch for an Evil Twin Attack Be certain that the wi-fi you are connecting to is the legitimate one for that spot. An internet criminal may set up one that has a name very similar to the hotspot, and you may connect to theirs by mistake. Get the correct name for the true connection at that location as an initial step to protect your wireless internet security. Use Secure Email When accessing your email, contact your ISP for their secure address. It should begin with "https:", not just "http:". This means that the site is using an SSL certificate so that the connection is more secure, and the information is also encrypted so sniffers cannot see the real data being transmitted. Be careful that the "https:" stays in the browser address bar throughout your whole email session. Some revert back to "http:" after you log in. Delete Your Cookies Cookies make it easier to log in to your frequently visited sites by remembering your username and password for you, however, if you connect to these sites when using public wi-fi, sniffers can get your cookie info. Delete your cookies before you connect to the internet at a hotspot. Turn off the Ad-Hoc Networking This should already be disabled with most default Windows XP and Vista installations, but you should check anyway. Ad-hoc networking allows two computers to communicate directly with one another, without an access point between. Obviously not a good idea to allow in public. Be certain you are using infrastructure mode, which requires an access point. Do Not Allow Your Computer to Connect Automatically After you have connected to a wireless connection once, your laptop probably sets your network setup to automatically connect when you are in range again. Check on the properties of each connection when managing wireless connections, and do not allow your computer to automatically connect to networks. Although it may take you more time to get a connection, it gives you more control and awareness over your internet connections. Disable Printer and File Sharing If you are used to sharing printing and files at home or work, be sure to disable this feature before connecting at a public wi-fi spot. Certainly don't want to share with others there. Connect More Securely There are a couple of options here. One is to get a wireless access card, so you don't need to use public wi-fi. This is an expensive option, but if you travel a lot and need internet access out of the office, it might be the way to go. It's a card you buy from a cell phone provider, insert into your laptop, and connect through that cell phone company's data connection. A large part of the cost is the monthly fee. Amother solution is to use a VPN Tunnel. If you are working for a large company, you probably connect through their Virtual Private Network (VPN). This is a secure, encrypted connection and is a good way to go when connecting to the internet through a public access point. You can also set up your own VPN, between your home desktop and your laptop. Your desktop would have to be connected to the internet through a cable and be on and connected when you want to get online with your laptop. If you're interested, do an internet search for how to set up a XP VPN.In conclusion, public wi-fi connections are convenient, but be smart before you connect. Be aware of your surroundings and what data you are sending and receiving. Save the transactions that you wouldn't want to be viewed by strangers for when you have a more secure connection.
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