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09-05-2008, 07:30 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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On the Road Security
We've visited this topic in the past, but I'd like to get the latest info and some specific suggestions.
Soon I'm going to be on a trip, and I will want to pay for something that I'm bidding on on eBay. So I will need to access eBay and PayPal.
Any way to make that more secure from a public computer (coffee shop or hotel)? Not worth the risk -- should I forget about that eBay item?
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Al
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09-05-2008, 08:52 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
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It would make me nervous if acct numbers and PWs need to be entered. Got a laptop you can bring? That would help a little (key logging, etc.).
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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09-05-2008, 08:54 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Yes, I will be using my laptop.
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Al
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09-05-2008, 09:13 AM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 8,827
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I think it was Nords who once suggested that you enter text in sensitive fields by typing in a few letters, clicking outside the field and entering garbage, go back to the field and enter a few more valid letters, click outside and enter garbage, etc.
Seems sensible to at least make it harder for a low level keyboard logger to sort things out.
__________________
Rich
San Francisco Area
ESR'd March 2010. FIRE'd January 2011.
As if you didn't know..If the above message contains medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any purpose. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.
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09-05-2008, 10:33 AM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
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On the road again.... If you ever find that place called security, let me know; dad said it doesn't exist.
eBay is so much fun; it used to be my favorite kind of gambling. Did a 12-step program and stopped at "join a forum instead." hello.
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09-05-2008, 10:48 AM
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#6
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Montreal
Posts: 940
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No chance of getting the sellers phone number?
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"Second star to the right and straight on till morning"
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09-05-2008, 01:14 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,327
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If you are using your own laptop there isn't too much to worry about. Even if someone has a sniffer on the WIFI router they will not be able to read your encrypted transmission to PayPal. Working on a public terminal is a bigger problem. If that is compromised with a keylogger program the bad guys can snoop everything your type.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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09-05-2008, 01:33 PM
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#8
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 524
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The Pay Pal Security Key may be useful. It's a small device that you carry with you that generates a random number that's used for authentication. Only costs $5.
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09-05-2008, 01:34 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Thanks guys. Yes, I think I will inform the seller ahead of time that I'll be on the road, and things may not be as smooth as normal, then trust the https: to encrypt things well enough.
__________________
Al
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09-05-2008, 01:35 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JB
The Pay Pal Security Key may be useful. It's a small device that you carry with you that generates a random number that's used for authentication. Only costs $5.
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That's neat. I'll get one for next time.
__________________
Al
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09-06-2008, 08:55 AM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,258
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The solution to this question for me may be a little more involved (and expensive) than you are looking for but...
We travel quite a bit in our Yacht eh, Roadtrek -- gone 2-3 weeks, home for a week to 10 days. Simply finding Internet access is sometimes a much bigger issue than concerns of security.
I have a Verizon UM150 USB Modem connected to a Cradlepoint CTR500 Router using a High Gain Omni RV Antennae. (You, actually, need only the UM150 or whatever device Sprint is offering.) Sprint offers a comparable service.
Several articles to begin your research can be found at EVDO info, EV-DO Coverage, Tips, News, Reviews, Verizon, Sprint : EVDOinfo.com. Specifically this one: Easy EVDO by EVDOinfo.com which responds to the question: " I want a broadband cellular connection that can provide wireless internet access to my computer wherever I am! What do I need and what does it cost?"
Again, this may be overkill but it would put you in charge of security and above all, eliminate the need to use an unknown computer. (Assuming you have your laptop handy.)
__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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09-06-2008, 10:58 AM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 11,327
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RonBoyd
I have a Verizon UM150 USB Modem connected to a Cradlepoint CTR500 Router using a High Gain Omni RV Antennae. (You, actually, need only the UM150 or whatever device Sprint is offering.) Sprint offers a comparable service.
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I have the same modem connected to a higher end Cradlepoint at my weekend house. I'm on it now with my laptop. I take the UM150 on the road when I travel - nice to have but the service is a bit pricey. I can't get other service at my weekend place (except satellite) so it seemed worthwhile to go this route and get travel coverage to boot.
__________________
Idleness is fatal only to the mediocre -- Albert Camus
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09-06-2008, 11:32 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,072
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When you at the hotel, they will probably give you a card with a password to get on their network. If you are using wireless... make sure you attach to their network.
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09-06-2008, 11:45 AM
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#14
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
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Since I sell on ebay I would say just email the seller and tell her you will be travelling and if you win that you will pay when you return . Ebayer is attracting a lot of non payers recently and it is driving us sellers crazy .
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09-06-2008, 12:03 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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This isnt something I recommend anyone doing where anything financial is involved.
You need a bulletproof, fully enabled and properly configured firewall, all the latest patches installed, and make sure you dont have anything evil running on your machine AFTER you get your secure connection going.
Theres a reason why most companies wont allow open internet access to their internal protected networks and require a separate vpn tunnel that uses multiple methods of authentication.
When you're at home and behind your home router, you're protected from a wide variety of potential miscreants. When you're connected to someone elses open access point, you're exposed to whatever their box doesnt protect against, isnt properly configured for, and to all the other peer users that are attached to that unit.
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Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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09-06-2008, 12:27 PM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 6,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny
This isnt something I recommend anyone doing where anything financial is involved.
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I am unsure what "this" is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny
You need a bulletproof, fully enabled and properly configured firewall, all the latest patches installed, and make sure you dont have anything evil running on your machine AFTER you get your secure connection going.
Theres a reason why most companies wont allow open internet access to their internal protected networks and require a separate vpn tunnel that uses multiple methods of authentication.
When you're at home and behind your home router, you're protected from a wide variety of potential miscreants. When you're connected to someone elses open access point, you're exposed to whatever their box doesnt protect against, isnt properly configured for, and to all the other peer users that are attached to that unit.
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This is exactly what I was referring to when I said "it would put you in charge of security." The UM150/Cradlepoint Router is your Network... the exact same as a "home" system would be. (The only advantage, BTW, that the Router adds is the ability to have mutiple computers running on the Network at the same time.)
__________________
"It's tough to make predictions, especially when it involves the future." ~Attributed to many
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." ~(perhaps by) Yogi Berra
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge."~ Lau tzu
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09-06-2008, 12:29 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,765
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Like CFB said. My second recommendation (only slightly tongue-in-cheek) would be to find a residential non-secure access point, attach to it, do your work, and get out. Bad guys haunt public wireless access points, but your standard clueless homeowner is probably not under surveillance, and would never know if you are on there for a few minutes. 5 minutes of war driving should find you a dozen or so choices.
And I know I'll probably get grief for the suggestion, but it's no harm no foul in my book. Like using a McDonald's restroom without buying food. I would do it if the access was important to me, but not to check my fantasy football scores. And never without a firewall on my PC.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
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