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Thread: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

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    How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    I'm staying in a hotel for the next couple of weeks in cornwall and I was just wondering how secure wifi is in these sort of places.

    Am I ok to log on to my bank and poker sites?

    Are there any settings I can change on my laptop to make it safer?

    Thanks for any advice

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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    I wouldn't log into your bank on any public wi-fi!

    I use to run a network in a hotel and the system there was fantastic and run using a system called netpoint. The problem is you just don't know how the system is setup.
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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    If you are logging onto your bank using a secure connection from your browser (https) and using SSL, then you would be safe as the link is end to end encrypted from your laptop to the bank's server.

    However, the wi-fi link to the hotel's access server probably isn't encrypted, so any other traffic you send - other than via an ssl link is open to sniffing, and potentially reverse hacjking into your laptop. How realistic you think that may be is a judgement call that only you can make. Probably in a hotel in Cornwqall, the risk is relatively small. What the impact is if that small risk comes about is again your call and your assessment.

    So yes - online banking through SSL is OK
    General browsing, collecting e mail etc may not be - e mail is a particular problem if your mail sever doesn't use any form of encryption or hashing of teh password as that will be passed in clear. This is true even if you use some form of encryption for the e mail itself (S/MIME - GPGP or the like)

    That said, I have used open networks in the States to send/receive mail without any problems at all.

    You are probably more at risk of having the laptop stolen than having the link eavesdropped - so don't ignore physical security (like leaving the laptop on te back seat of the car overnight!!!)
    Last edited by peterb; 05-07-2008 at 06:27 PM.
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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    If you can be bothered to go to the hassle - set up your home machine to accept a VPN connection with encryption. I have done this a few times. The hotel may block this type of traffic though, it's not possible to tell without trying.
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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    Thanks for the advice

    I'll leave checking my bank for the time I'm here. I'm just used to checking it most days so it's become a habit.

    Would be be ok to play poker over the wi-fi? I'm starting to get withdraw symptoms

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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    Greatest risk of losing money..?

    Playing poker on line or checking your bank account....

    seems like a no brainer to me...

    From terms of security, exactly the same conditions - if it is an SSL connection, no problem.
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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    I wouldnt log into my bank account regardless of SSL.

    Also does the hotel require you to input your bank details to gain access to the internet?

    If it does i'd run Netstumbler or something similar and check for duplicate SSID's (A sure sign of spoofed front ends)

    Also be careful when logging into your Poker account, this data could perhaps be sniffed.

    Just be vigilant. Wireless connections always pose security threats, but often no one is exploiting them.

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    Re: How safe is wifi in a hotel?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trash Man View Post
    I'll leave checking my bank for the time I'm here. I'm just used to checking it most days so it's become a habit.
    Checking your online bank account (assuming SSL which it will be) is one of the safest things you can do over an open network.

    If someone has the know how to break current SSL encryption, they sure as hell won't be sitting in a hotel sniffing packets out.
    Last edited by Agent; 07-07-2008 at 09:32 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    And by trying to force me to like small pants, they've alienated me.

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