Is using internet poker at a wireless place ( hotel, starbucks) safe?

[MKA]

I thought I read that people can get your passwords at these places if you are not protected. What do I need if I go out of town with my wireless laptop?

[No_Skillz_]

Don't worry.
All data transfered between your laptop and poker server is encrypted. There is no clear data to be captured by an attacker. You can easily look what information your computer sends/receives by installing software called Ethereal.

[MKA]

Thank you for the answer. But what about other important things like yahoo mail, and two plus two. Are these encrypted also?

[TheTROLL]

Generally anything served over a web browser is encrypted if it needs to be, and not otherwise. Obviously 2+2 isn't (why would you care?), and your online banking is. If you're accessing an address starting HTTPS:// rather than HTTP://, the connection is encrypted.

[teddyFBI]

But it sounds like a hacker could easily intercept a password you use at a nonecrypted site (like 2+2), right?
If so, people who use the same passwords for non-sensitive sites like this one as they do for sensitive sites like banks, Neteller, etc could be at risk...is this right?

[steamboatin]

[ QUOTE ]
But it sounds like a hacker could easily intercept a password you use at a nonecrypted site (like 2+2), right?
If so, people who use the same passwords for non-sensitive sites like this one as they do for sensitive sites like banks, Neteller, etc could be RETARDED!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

FYP

[smoore]

Yes, true.

I have three tiers of passwords....

unsecure, like 2+2
semi-secure, like email
secure as possible, for financial stuff

make sure that none of them cross over and you're goot.

I concur that you don't have to worry about visiting https sites (poker sites included) when on an open net.

Use a firewall. Use anti-spyware. Use virus protection.

[Guy McSucker]

[ QUOTE ]

unsecure, like 2+2
semi-secure, like email
secure as possible, for financial stuff


[/ QUOTE ]

Since many financial sites (e.g. poker sites!) are quite lax about verifying your identity as long as you can receive email from them to the address they've got on record, I'd recommend being very secure with your email passwords too.

Doing that is also kind to your email hosts whoever they may be.

Guy.

[TITHEAD]

Hmm isnt the wireles signal vulnerable even though it has encryption. Laptop is transmitting to the access point wirelessly. If it is using WEP then the signal could be monitored and possibly cracked.

Edit: The initilization vector makes it insecure

[o0mr_bill0o]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, true.

I have three tiers of passwords....

unsecure, like 2+2
semi-secure, like email
secure as possible, for financial stuff

make sure that none of them cross over and you're goot.

I concur that you don't have to worry about visiting https sites (poker sites included) when on an open net.

Use a firewall. Use anti-spyware. Use virus protection.

[/ QUOTE ]

i have the same policy. most of my unsecure passwords are the same (or very similar) because i don't really care what happens with them. the e-mail password is pretty secure, but it has to be something i can remember. all other passwords are randomly generated sequences of 15 letters, numbers and symbols.