Wireless Hotspot security

[FredMurphy]

There have been quite a few discussions about wireless security but I've been thinking particularly about how secure your laptop (or Pocket PC) is when you're connected to a wireless hotspot. Obviously this is more a PC that Pocket PC issue so my apologies for being slightly off-topic.

I rely on my router to protect my home network from the big bad world and I'm fairly confident that NAT keeps most stuff out. I don't feel the need to do a really thorough job of locking down my PC itself, although a do use a logon password.

I'm not keen on AntiVirus software as it causes a lot of problems and a little common sense does almost as good a job. Can't say I use anything like ZoneAlarm either.

What I'm wondering is how many people consider the security issues of connecting to a wireless hotspot. I'm sure Starbuck's router gives some protection from the outside world but what about the other customers on the same network? Is the guy on the other side of the room with the Caramel Macchiato browsing through your files?

I wonder how many people use a completely unprotected PC. Maybe next time I'm sipping I'll take an innocent wander round my subnet and see.

[Stephen Beesley]

Fred - you must be reading my mind! I was just thinking about this very same issue. Wireless hotspots are starting to spring up over here were I am and I am keen get wireless myself.

I am in the process of setting up wireless access at work for my bosses HP 5455 and in the process have stumbled across at least two other wireless networks in the industrial estate I am working in. It has really made me wonder...

Goldtee

[Thinkingmandavid]

I use hot spots at Starbucks from T-Mobile. I personally dont like T-Mobile but they are the only ones supplying it there, and I like to hang out at Starbucks. I bought a D Link and it came with FREEDOM Internet Security and Privacy. I am still learning what it can do, and one of the things I do like is how it keeps away those annoying pop up ads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes those ones! :evil:

[FredMurphy]

Wireless LANs are indeed springing up everywhere. Popped round to a friends house where I know he has a secured wireless LAN ('cos I showed him how to secure it). I was just about to ask him what his WEP key was when XP asks me if I want to connect to his neighbour's wide open network. :lol:

Unfortunately "Roselyne's Vaio" wasn't connected (but was still showing under her workgroup) otherwise I'd have left a polite "drop me a line if you want to know how to secure your network" note on her desktop.

[Howard2k]

It's pretty scary.. PPC has so many inherent security weaknesses that sticking in a wireless card is hardly letting it's guard down... But it's amazing how lax some people are with general wireless security.

The scariest thing I find is people that say "I'm not sending anything sensitive over the wifi anyway".. Doesn't matter. Sniffing the packets out of the air is one thing. But wifi also leaves you LAN, devices connected to it, and devices accessilble from those connected devices open to attack.

That spreadsheet that you have on your PC with all that important information may never get sent over the wireless LAN. But if your PC is on the LAN it's vulnerable. And if your PC is connected to more PCs then they are too...

Scary stuff...

[targetdrone]

I just enabled my WEP. I had it disabled while I was getting everything talking nicely to each other. I wasn't too worried, as my laptop didn't sniff any wireless networks in the area.

How secure is WEP, and what are the advantages/disadvantages of the different rate of encryptions? Will using WEP slow down my surfing abilities?