Comments on: Keeping Public Wi-Fi Secure: A Little Help From Readers http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/ Rebooting the workforce Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:57:41 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Tim Haughton http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/#comment-297259 Tim Haughton Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:26:22 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=2566#comment-297259 <p>Good suggestions. I usually opt for a SSH tunnel. I run an OpenSSH server on my under-the-stairs Ubuntu box. If I'm out and about, I use:</p> <p>putty -D 8000 tim@mybox.com</p> <p>Then I configure Firefox to use a local SOCKS proxy running on localhost:8000. Voila, instant secure tunnel. Followed by a quick trip to whatismyip.com just to make sure.</p> Good suggestions. I usually opt for a SSH tunnel. I run an OpenSSH server on my under-the-stairs Ubuntu box. If I’m out and about, I use:

putty -D 8000 tim@mybox.com

Then I configure Firefox to use a local SOCKS proxy running on localhost:8000. Voila, instant secure tunnel. Followed by a quick trip to whatismyip.com just to make sure.

]]> By: Jeff http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/#comment-297098 Jeff Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:59:31 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=2566#comment-297098 <p>Michael:</p> <p>Agreed -- the VPN setup is really the best way to go. I make it a rule never to interact with client servers in public unless I'm routing through my own (secure) machine.</p> <p>Still, VPN can be kind of a hassle and isn't 100 percent safe (basically no solution is 100 percent hacker proof when you're using public wifi). I ended up getting the EVDO internet plan from Verizon, which is a little pricy at $60 a month, but as far as I know guarantees an encrypted connection wherever you go. Its actually amazingly fast for something that communicates over the cellular networks -- fine for development work but I wouldn't recommend sending gigabytes of data over it at once.</p> <p>Plus, it also means you can work where free wifi isn't offered (I take mine up to my roof deck, out of range of my apartment's WiFi signal, a few times a week). Something to think about. I used to get really frustrated trying to find free, reliable WiFi at coffee shops where I live. Now I just open my laptop and go to.</p> Michael:

Agreed — the VPN setup is really the best way to go. I make it a rule never to interact with client servers in public unless I’m routing through my own (secure) machine.

Still, VPN can be kind of a hassle and isn’t 100 percent safe (basically no solution is 100 percent hacker proof when you’re using public wifi). I ended up getting the EVDO internet plan from Verizon, which is a little pricy at $60 a month, but as far as I know guarantees an encrypted connection wherever you go. Its actually amazingly fast for something that communicates over the cellular networks — fine for development work but I wouldn’t recommend sending gigabytes of data over it at once.

Plus, it also means you can work where free wifi isn’t offered (I take mine up to my roof deck, out of range of my apartment’s WiFi signal, a few times a week). Something to think about. I used to get really frustrated trying to find free, reliable WiFi at coffee shops where I live. Now I just open my laptop and go to.

]]> By: udsgsuu http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/#comment-297080 udsgsuu Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:40:36 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=2566#comment-297080 <p>good firewall for Mac users is Little Snitch ( http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html )</p> good firewall for Mac users is Little Snitch ( http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html )

]]> By: Alana Post http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/#comment-297047 Alana Post Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:24:16 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=2566#comment-297047 <p>A good firewall for Mac users is Little Snitch ( http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html )</p> A good firewall for Mac users is Little Snitch ( http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html )

]]> By: Michael http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/13/keeping-public-wi-fi-secure-a-little-help-from-readers/#comment-296992 Michael Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:35:18 +0000 http://webworkerdaily.com/?p=2566#comment-296992 <p>Great suggestions, I would also suggest using a secure VPN to encrypt your traffic back to your home, this way no one on the Wifi hotspot your using can understand your traffic.</p> Great suggestions, I would also suggest using a secure VPN to encrypt your traffic back to your home, this way no one on the Wifi hotspot your using can understand your traffic.

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