My first laptop . . . how safe?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sue
  • Start date Start date
S

Sue

Hi,

I purchased and should be receiving my new (and first) laptop in the mail
within a week. It is windows vista home premium.

My question is how safe will I be when I connect at a hotspot? Is there
addictional software that I should purchase prior to using my wi-fi? Or is
vista already setup straight out of the box with security features?

Thank you,

Newbie to wi-fi
 
In Vista when you connect to a new network you will be asked if it is a
private or public network. Always pick public for hotspots.
 
i would not check any bank accounts or email accounts that you value from
any hotspot. you may also want to pick up a privacy screen for it.
 
Sue said:
And where might I find a VPN?
Click to expand...


Your job will provide a VPN connection, if you're working at home to protect
sending and receiving, which is data encryption and decryption, of data
between the company's network and you computer sitting out there on the
Internet.

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n100858.asp

Or you have some ISP's that provide a VPN connection between its network and
their clients.

In either case, there must be two valid VPN end points. The VPN endpoint on
your end and a VPN end point at the final destination.

Let's face reality here. You're never going to be in some VPN connect
sitting up in public hot spot, unless it being provided to you in the ways
mentioned above.

When you're in communications with a bank or other such companies that deal
money or other such data that must be a secure exchange of data over the
Internet between their network and your computers browser, it's going to be
over HTTPS.

http://www.gordano.com/kb.htm?q=1588


Bottom line is you should disable MS Client for Networks and MS File and
Print Sharing off of your wireless card. That way, no one on the public
wireless network can access your computer while you're using wireless. Or
you're using a personal FW that has the Windows Networking Ports blocked to
all traffic, which is a setting you can turn on and off on most PFW(s).

I am using a hotel's public wireless network right now, and I have been
doing it for a couple years doing banking the whole nine yards.

Unless you're 007's wife with some secrets on the laptop, and you were on an
Impossible Mission would anyone care what your transmitting in an connection
that's not HTTPS.

You'll know you're in a HTTPS connection when you see
https://www.whatever.com.
 
Back
Top