Sony Store guy tells me to go live in a cave. (long w/pics + a Q)

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
Connecting to the internet wirelessly only makes you slightly less secure than using a wired connection.


[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong. Depending on encryption used and the setup, this can range from notably less secure to having absolutely no security at all. The recent TJ MAX breach was due to poorly configured wireless at a store.

[ QUOTE ]

In many types of networks (like a large ethernet network like you'd find at most offices and in some residential setups), every piece of data that is send out actually goes to every computer on the network, it's just that most machines will ignore data that's not meant for it. With a "packet sniffer" it's trivial to see all the data that everyone is sending around.


[/ QUOTE ]

Nearly every office is now using switches instead of hubs for both the performance and security reasons so this statement is woefully incorrect.

J

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This caveat is, even though your bank, gmail, etc passwords are sent over ssl (encryption), it is fairly easy to get those passwords. What an attcker does is set up a fake website on his laptop, and impersonates the AP (what your laptops connects to), then he looks at all the information in unencrypted form, because his fake website doesnt use encryption, takes that info, sends it to its real destination over the internet, and transmits any response back to your computer. Hence the name man in the midddle


(your box)--------(his laptop)---------internet

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point - I never really thought of faking an access point to do this sort of attack. Would the attacker have to disable the real AP first somehow (DOS attack?) so that Howard's computer doesn't find the real one first? Or can it just beat it to the punch when the laptop searches for a DHCP server?

[/ QUOTE ]

99% of wireless clients put the strongest signal at the top of the list of networks to connect to, so you just make sure you have a good antenna, etc and have a stronger signal than the AP.

[luckyjimm]

I bought a Vista laptop just last week, and connect to the Internet using my housemate's unsecured wireless network. Vista comes with loads of Internet security guards which will tell you if you are accessing the correct secure website or not, so I think you will be well protected against this kind of thing.

[guids]

[ QUOTE ]
I bought a Vista laptop just last week, and connect to the Internet using my housemate's unsecured wireless network. Vista comes with loads of Internet security guards which will tell you if you are accessing the correct secure website or not, so I think you will be well protected against this kind of thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate to sound like an [censored], but "thinking you are protected" when there are people much more knowledgeable and with more time on their hands than you, is a huge mistake.

[cardcounter0]

Step 1: Bash punk sony clerk in the face and beat him down like the little punk bitch that he is. After he is laying on the ground crying like a little girl, scream into his face, "Maybe if I was a punk store clerk I wouldn't have to worry about security", then stomp on him a couple of times to break some ribs to improve his customer service attitude.


Step 2: Have a computer guy configure your laptop. You need to password protect your network, keep a firewall on your computer, and a few other tricks to keep your wireless usage secure.

Going around on unsecure networks is like leaving the keys in your car, maybe someone won't see and take it, maybe they will.

[cbloom]

WiFi is extremely insecure.

It's semi-common for snoopers to set up hotspots in airports named things like "airport wifi" ; your computer autodetects it and hooks up and blammo all your traffic goes through them.

If you actually care you could use a VPN for WiFi like this -

http://www.hotspotvpn.com/
HotSpotVPN

but most people just say "[censored] it" which is why we get so many "my FT account is empty" posts.

[kazana]

[ QUOTE ]
but most people just say "[censored] it" which is why we get so many "my FT account is empty" posts.

[/ QUOTE ]
And here I thought we get all those posts because FT is rigged.

[UbinTook]

Just curious Howard, why are you considering a windows based laptop when you use an apple at home?

[Howard Beale]

[ QUOTE ]
Just curious Howard, why are you considering a windows based laptop when you use an apple at home?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm just shopping around. I'll probably wait a year until whatever system it is that allows windows apps to work seamlessly on the Macs is perfected and then buy one of them. The new Mac laptops are beauts. I want one of the humongous ones AND one of the little ones. I'd better start running better in the 20. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[UbinTook]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just curious Howard, why are you considering a windows based laptop when you use an apple at home?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm just shopping around. I'll probably wait a year until whatever system it is that allows windows apps to work seamlessly on the Macs is perfected and then buy one of them. The new Mac laptops are beauts. I want one of the humongous ones AND one of the little ones. I'd better start running better in the 20. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I want a new laptop, always been a windows user.
I "have come to a sad realization" and must become proficient with a Mac. Agreed that the best bet is to buy a Mac running Parallels.
Not sure if waiting is neccessary, cant these programs be updated on the fly as they are improved?

That 20 game is becoming more volitile again, it seems that many of the 20 players that moved up to the 40 are moving back. Might be good, might be bad...