Laptop, wifi & security?
in [Computer]
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From: Joe J. on 28 Jan 2010 19:27 I'm traveling next week for the first time with a laptop. Regarding WiFi, am I correct in assuming that as long as I don't transmit a username or password using the WiFi, the info on my laptop is secure? Just by turning on the laptop and connecting to WiFi wouldn't allow someone to view data on my laptop right? i.e.. read Excel files or contents of my inbox etc. Thanks,
From: JD on 28 Jan 2010 20:33 On 29/01/2010 12:27 AM, Joe J. wrote: > I'm traveling next week for the first time with a laptop. Regarding WiFi, > am I correct in assuming that as long as I don't transmit a username or > password using the WiFi, the info on my laptop is secure? Just by turning > on the laptop and connecting to WiFi wouldn't allow someone to view data on > my laptop right? i.e.. read Excel files or contents of my inbox etc. > > Thanks, > > if you are using open wifi, make sure you have: your firewall on File sharing off a password on your user account(s) if you are using an UN-Encrypted WiFi remember that POP 3 mail user-name/passwords and contents are sent in the clear, which means anyone using a packet sniffer can see them! if you can, use something like a webmail account (like gmail) with https(secure) connection, btw you can link pop/imap accounts into gmail. WPA is not very good ether. other than that just turning on the laptop will not transmit your data (unless you have a trojan/rat/malware etc.) , most laptops have a switch to turn off the wifi when not in use. JD
From: Joe J. on 28 Jan 2010 20:51 "JD" <No.Reply(a)Sorry.com> wrote in message news:4b623afa$0$2477$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... > On 29/01/2010 12:27 AM, Joe J. wrote: >> I'm traveling next week for the first time with a laptop. Regarding >> WiFi, >> am I correct in assuming that as long as I don't transmit a username or >> password using the WiFi, the info on my laptop is secure? Just by >> turning >> on the laptop and connecting to WiFi wouldn't allow someone to view data >> on >> my laptop right? i.e.. read Excel files or contents of my inbox etc. >> >> Thanks, >> >> > > if you are using open wifi, make sure you have: > your firewall on > File sharing off > a password on your user account(s) > > if you are using an UN-Encrypted WiFi remember that POP 3 mail > user-name/passwords and contents are sent in the clear, which means anyone > using a packet sniffer can see them! > > if you can, use something like a webmail account (like gmail) with > https(secure) connection, btw you can link pop/imap accounts into gmail. > > WPA is not very good ether. > > other than that just turning on the laptop will not transmit your data > (unless you have a trojan/rat/malware etc.) , most laptops have a switch > to turn off the wifi when not in use. > > JD Hello JD, you are always a wealth of info. Now here is where my dummy part comes in. My first laptop so I'm a little confused. When you say "a password on the user account" are you talking about any of my accounts or the log-in for the laptop. Since I'm the only user, I haven't set up a password for the laptop user, I just hit enter if it drops out (windows 7). thanks,
From: JD on 29 Jan 2010 04:07 On 29/01/2010 1:51 AM, Joe J. wrote: > "JD"<No.Reply(a)Sorry.com> wrote in message > news:4b623afa$0$2477$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... >> On 29/01/2010 12:27 AM, Joe J. wrote: >>> I'm traveling next week for the first time with a laptop. Regarding >>> WiFi, >>> am I correct in assuming that as long as I don't transmit a username or >>> password using the WiFi, the info on my laptop is secure? Just by >>> turning >>> on the laptop and connecting to WiFi wouldn't allow someone to view data >>> on >>> my laptop right? i.e.. read Excel files or contents of my inbox etc. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> >> >> if you are using open wifi, make sure you have: >> your firewall on >> File sharing off >> a password on your user account(s) >> >> if you are using an UN-Encrypted WiFi remember that POP 3 mail >> user-name/passwords and contents are sent in the clear, which means anyone >> using a packet sniffer can see them! >> >> if you can, use something like a webmail account (like gmail) with >> https(secure) connection, btw you can link pop/imap accounts into gmail. >> >> WPA is not very good ether. >> >> other than that just turning on the laptop will not transmit your data >> (unless you have a trojan/rat/malware etc.) , most laptops have a switch >> to turn off the wifi when not in use. >> >> JD > > Hello JD, you are always a wealth of info. Now here is where my dummy part > comes in. > My first laptop so I'm a little confused. When you say "a password on the > user account" are you talking about any of my accounts or the log-in for the > laptop. Since I'm the only user, I haven't set up a password for the laptop > user, I just hit enter if it drops out (windows 7). > > thanks, > > I meant the log-in for the laptop "Joe", however the newer versions of windows wont let a remote user log in without a password so I don't think this will be as important as it used to be. There's other good reasons for using a password on the user account's namely stopping people snooping on your stuff when they have physical access to the laptop, however for this to work properly you would have to enable private folders, folder encryption and changing the administrator account password. there's usually an admin account, you can get to through safe mode, all those things help stop someone from loging in as admin and looking at your stuff or removing the hard drive and looking at your stuff, however it makes fixing a broken machine difficult. JD
From: baron on 29 Jan 2010 06:38
JD Inscribed thus: > On 29/01/2010 1:51 AM, Joe J. wrote: >> "JD"<No.Reply(a)Sorry.com> wrote in message >> news:4b623afa$0$2477$db0fefd9(a)news.zen.co.uk... >>> On 29/01/2010 12:27 AM, Joe J. wrote: >>>> I'm traveling next week for the first time with a laptop. >>>> Regarding WiFi, >>>> am I correct in assuming that as long as I don't transmit a >>>> username or >>>> password using the WiFi, the info on my laptop is secure? Just by >>>> turning >>>> on the laptop and connecting to WiFi wouldn't allow someone to view >>>> data on >>>> my laptop right? i.e.. read Excel files or contents of my inbox >>>> etc. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> >>>> >>> >>> if you are using open wifi, make sure you have: >>> your firewall on >>> File sharing off >>> a password on your user account(s) >>> >>> if you are using an UN-Encrypted WiFi remember that POP 3 mail >>> user-name/passwords and contents are sent in the clear, which means >>> anyone using a packet sniffer can see them! >>> >>> if you can, use something like a webmail account (like gmail) with >>> https(secure) connection, btw you can link pop/imap accounts into >>> gmail. >>> >>> WPA is not very good ether. >>> >>> other than that just turning on the laptop will not transmit your >>> data (unless you have a trojan/rat/malware etc.) , most laptops have >>> a switch >>> to turn off the wifi when not in use. >>> >>> JD >> >> Hello JD, you are always a wealth of info. Now here is where my >> dummy part comes in. >> My first laptop so I'm a little confused. When you say "a password >> on the user account" are you talking about any of my accounts or the >> log-in for the >> laptop. Since I'm the only user, I haven't set up a password for the >> laptop user, I just hit enter if it drops out (windows 7). >> >> thanks, >> >> > > I meant the log-in for the laptop "Joe", however the newer versions of > windows wont let a remote user log in without a password so I don't > think this will be as important as it used to be. > > There's other good reasons for using a password on the user > account's > namely stopping people snooping on your stuff when they have physical > access to the laptop, however for this to work properly you would have > to enable private folders, folder encryption and changing the > administrator account password. > there's usually an admin account, you can get to through safe mode, > all those things help stop someone from loging in as admin and looking > at your stuff or removing the hard drive and looking at your stuff, > however it makes fixing a broken machine difficult. > > JD Whilst I don't disagree with JD, realistically nothing with Windows is really secure. Secure webmail is about as good as it gets without going to extremes. I don't have or keep anything on my netbook that I wouldn't want anyone else to discover. No personal data, bank account details, credit card information, unencrypted passwords etc. Don't forget your tin hat... ;-) -- Best Regards: Baron. |