by Frank Lombaer

"Security" is a big buzz word these days, especially when talking about computers. Most people are aware of the fundamental need of every computer, desktops and notebooks alike, to have a firewall and anti-virus software. Unfortunately, another type of security - wireless security - is frequently overlooked by notebook computer users. In fact, with so many people stopping at their favorite hot spot to check email and read the day's news headlines, it's really wireless insecurity that we're talking about.

Is it possible for someone to monitor everything I do over wireless Internet?

YES! WiFi works by passing information from computer to access point via radio frequency and vice versa. Even with "encryption" turned on at the base station (using WEP, Wireless Equivalency Protocol, or WPA authentication) anything you send to the access point is interceptable AND readable by anyone. This includes credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, or any other personal information you submit over WiFi.

Do I need to be scared to use a wireless hot spot?

NO. I'm not tell you this to scare you away from wireless hot spots. I'm telling you this so you become aware of what information you are sharing with the room. Public hot spots are PUBLIC. Know that whatever information you give out while using a web browser in public means it is visible to others.

What things should I NOT do while using a public wireless hot spot?

NEVER submit a credit card number while using a public wireless hot spot.
NEVER submit a username or password while using a public wireless hot spot.
NEVER submit personal information while using a public wireless hot spot.

Security at a Hot Spot

You can take steps to secure your information while at a hot spot. The first and most basic way to secure your info is to not use email. Typically you'll find that you can receive email, but not send it. Most hot spots block out-going emails anyway to keep people from sending spam from their access point. So, just by going the extra step of not checking email at a hot spot increases your security greatly.

If you must check email at a hotspot, check if your email provider supports secure connection, i.e. POP over SSL (POPS) or IMAP over SSL (IMAPS). These connection types "scramble" your information in a way that only the server can "de-scramble." However, at the writing of this article, most email providers do not have this feature available. Another way to create a secure connection is the do-it-yourself method. This method is quite technical and requires a computer in another location which you can access over the Internet. With this in place, it is possible to securely "tunnel" into the remote machine and do all of your email through it.

I have been using a remote machine to secure my email from prying eyes for over a year. It has really been useful, since I spend much of my day in transit between appointments. The only way I can keep up with email is by using wireless access from hot spots. Because I "tunnel" into a remote machine, I get around the limitation of not being able to send emails and I have the piece of mind that none of my personal information is visible to others.

A good reference for securing email at hot spots can be found at www.StopDesign.com. This article outlines the need for security and the steps to take in order to secure email. If you are unsure of what needs to be done to secure your connection while using a hot spot, please contact Pelarious. We're here to help