Is wi fi safe when browsing or banking? (1 Viewer)

[Welsh girl]

This thread could belong in 2 places I suppose so I will put it in here to start.
When using wi fi anywhere really on sites and in mcdonalds does your AV stop any one getting your bank details if you bank online?
Or any details really???
Or can you buy one specifically for that purpose?

 

[rainbow chasers]

No...nor is it at home, as people can stop outside. Best way is to passwrod protect - but whilst on public access wi-fi stay away from banking or anything else that needs a password!

Browse, but don't buy!:thumb:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqic_aY3TqQ[/ame]

Here is another about adding paswords to your home network

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A88XB7_Jz7s[/ame]

 

[hilldweller]

No.

And even worse is the WiFi cafe, they could be recording everything you type.

At home make sure your WiFi is set to WPA with a long password.

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[Dodgey]

Good question/thread as it's something I've wondered about, though we don't currently travel with a PC, but I'd guessed no.

At home I tend to use MAC addresses to limit access, mind you irrelevant at present as lap top (works) wireless is US so just using a non wireless router, but it's my theory on how to be secure, maybe not?

 

[Wildman]

Not Safe.

 

[JJ]

I do NOT offer any advice here... I am simply reporting my thoughts and what I do.

I use online banking via wi-fi. I pull into wi-fi hotspots and buy tickets and pay bills etc... indeed I am about to pay for Peterborough online.

My feelings are there might well be a trojan/virus/lurking thingy that has avoided my Vaio defences and frequent scans and is waiting to send my details back to some terrorist group but it is a risk I take... I take a similar but, in my opinion, much larger risk when I withdraw cash from a hole in the wall (except you don't get hit over the head online.)

I only keep small amounts in the account I use for internet stuff and given the fences and hoops the bank make me jump over and through to get at my own cash I reckon if the baddies get at it, their brains are huge and I hope they enjoy the £1.31p left there! And I trust the bank to return the nicked amount anyway

JJ.

Never do what I do or say... You know what makes sense...

PS... Just read Roger's post. He refers to a time when my Skype account (linked top a Paypal top up setup.) They started using my Skype account to make calls all over the world. After €60 was used in a day I put a stop to it (how to was explained on the Skype site) and I set about getting my money back... true it took a bit of perseverance (a day and a half) but I ended up with both Paypal and Skype returning me €60 each! With a longer password it hasn't happened again. Shame!

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[ShiftZZ]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12784491


Hackers tackle secure ID tokens

 

[hilldweller]

I only keep small amounts in the account I use for internet stuff

Sound advice. Some also keep a single CC for internet use.

The big problem is more inconvenience. I'm waiting for new CCs right now, the account was cloned and used last Sunday to buy O2 top up, I believe that is the test and the next use is the BIG one. RBS spotted the scam and shut down the CC. Made me wonder what was going on on Monday when I went for petrol.

I've no idea where they picked up the card details. It keeps happening. I suspect cheap hotels and petrol stations rather than the internet but that's pure guesswork. At lease I, in theory lose nothing. In fact I don't, it's the poor souls paying 29% interest that are funding these scam.

 

[olley]

Surely when you access your bank account its via HTTPS which I believe means its encrypted on your computer before being sent. I would have thought using a data card as I have done; and will be doing more often now, makes accessing your accounts even safer, as its mixed up with all the other traffic.

Ian

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[Jim]

Surely when you access your bank account its via HTTPS which I believe means its encrypted on your computer before being sent. I would have thought using a data card as I have done; and will be doing more often now, makes accessing your accounts even safer, as its mixed up with all the other traffic.

Ian

Hi Ian, when using a Dongle (mobile Broadband) AFAIK you are as safe as using landline Broadband, maybe even a little safer. The posts above are about public WiFi, this can be intercepted before it reaches the secure webpage. Mobile broadband uses WEP all the way.

 

[jhorsf]

A good thread and some interesting answers

 

[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

At home I tend to use MAC addresses to limit access, mind you irrelevant at present as lap top (works) wireless is US so just using a non wireless router, but it's my theory on how to be secure, maybe not?

Not, I'm afraid.

MAC addresses are sent unencrypted even if you use WEP/WPA/WPA2 security. So with the correct tools, and there are plenty, anyone can intercept the traffic between your laptop and your wireless router and get the MAC address. Or send packets to your laptop and get the MAC address. It is then pretty straightforward to replace the real MAC address of their laptop wireless card with your MAC address at the operating system level and pretend to be using your laptop.

If you are using wi-fi to access banking sites, etc., you need to be using WPA at least, which rules out most public wi-fi hotspots.

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[Dodgey]

Thanks Neil, shows what I knowoh:

As said fortunatly (or annoyingly:Angry no wireless at present but we're looking to get a lappy for ourselves this year so all good info:thumb: