Using Wi-Fi Securely

Traveling tomorrow - do I have all the bases covered?

[MatthewHSE]

I'll be traveling over the weekend, and may wind up using a hotel's wifi connection with my laptop. Here's a list of the security precautions I've taken:

• Made sure the Windows Firewall is turned on with no exceptions allowed
  
• Updated all security software
  
• Visited Microsoft Update and made sure the OS was fully patched
  
• Connected the laptop directly to the Internet (no router or hardware firewall in between) and ran a port scan to make sure all ports were stealth
  
• Checked to make sure all "sensitive" websites I'd be using were SSL-enabled
  
• Checked to make sure my FTP client was set up to login to my sites via SFTP/SSH
  
• Set up my e-mail client to send and receive securely over SSL, and used Ethereal to verify that no plaintext passwords were being sent

I also know to disable the wireless network card unless I'm actually using it.

So having done all that, should I be safe using public wifi from this machine? The only other thing I can think of would be to use a VPN like JiWire, but if I only submit personal information over SSL, surely the VPN isn't necessary, is it?

I am a little concerned about auto-updating programs [webmasterworld.com], but I don't know how to turn off all the update features (some won't turn off) and I'm afraid I don't understand the risk in the first place...is it a major risk, or basically a theoretical risk?

Thanks in advance for any insights or additional steps I should take!

Matthew

[bcolflesh]

After reading your list, I'd say it probably makes sense to wrap your laptop in aluminum foil and rig it to explode in the presence of any electronic transmission.

[bill]

Rigging the C4 interface can be difficult and airport security frowns upon ammonium nitrate so that may not be an option. ;)

Here are some safer alternatives:

Get yourself some virtual PC software and connect via that.

Run a boot-CD OS like Knoppix and connect to the Internet that way.

[MatthewHSE]

Good ideas Bill. I assume these options are more secure in terms of preventing my PC from becoming infected, and have little or nothing to do with the security of data I transmit over the connection. Is that correct, and if so, am I also right in assuming that SSL will prevent snooping on transmitted data?

Unfortunately, I doubt I can work out either of your suggestions by the time I have to take off. So in terms of preventing malware infections, is my current setup reasonably secure, or am I just begging someone to turn my laptop into a zombie? ;)

Thanks again,

Matthew

[Visit Thailand]

-Updated all security software

- Visited Microsoft Update and made sure the OS (added: and Office if used)was fully patched

The above should be done anyway, no matter where you are.

I use wi-fi very frequently in so many places, never had any problems and never had a list like the one you shared.

I think you will be fine. As long as you have a good firewall and the above two points are updated then you should be fine.

[bill]

You are correct that my suggestions would protect the PC. If you want transmitted data to be protected you could use SSL or SSH connections.

You could setup a secure VPN to your home network and use that as a proxy for your surfing. That doesn't take much time to setup.

[vincevincevince]

Change your computer name to 'WifiFraudInvestigations' or something. May discourage someone messing with your traffic manually!

[Visit Thailand]

Change your computer name to 'WifiFraudInvestigations' or something. May discourage someone messing with your traffic manually!

Or encourage it. There are so many wireless Hot Spots around every city nowadays you would have to be very lucky to get targetted considering how many computers do not even have updated firewalls.