How safe is roaming wireless internet?

Question

Can people intercept your files, steal your computer's identity from the air, or even piggy-back on your signal to do unscrupulous things?

I'm talking about when you're walking through a city or sitting in your hotel room using their wireless signal with your laptop, as the government wants us all to do in every city. I'm not talking about being at home, and not virus or spyware attacks (which are irrelevant to Mac and Linux users anyway).

Answer 1

No its not safe at all. Of course people can intercept your files because they are being broadcast using radio transmission. This makes there extremely easy to intercept. You should lock down your computer with a firewall to stop people from getting in your PC. Also try to scramble your web traffic with a web proxy like TOR.

Answer 2

a few years ago i would have said yes. Today I would say it's reasonably safe. years ago if you had a wireless keyboard, someone with a scanner could sit outside your house and pick up every keystoke you made, but today's technology would have builtin safeguards otherwise they would be out of business. Doesn't mean it's 100% safe, there's always the wanna be hackers trying their best to beat a system. If you take the usual precautions you should be ok. Personally I wouldn't do any banking on a wireless system.

Answer 3

If you asking about using your wifi laptop / phone whilst your on the move, you need to make very sure that the wi-fi signal you are connecting too is safe, as you could be connecting to a 'piggy-back' connection, that is routed via another computer that records any data entered whilst your on-line..

Answer 4

depends. is it WEP security or WPA Security. A firewall can also help but it MUST be wireless certificated. (do not download zonealarm free. it is not wireless cetificertied. McAfee Internet security is the most best security suit.(ratedin computer shopper magazine)

Answer 5

In the context in which you have it, it works well. By the title of your question, I thought you meant is it ok to write a poem using internet lingo, and in that case it would be a big Nooooo :)

Answer 6

yes. to prevent secure your network with wpa2, and get a firewall.

these 2 are free from download.com

1. Comodo Firewall
2. Zone Alarm

Answer 7

yes, they can even unskiled tens can do that, because wireless default passwords posted on the net by companies. its your job to change it

one reason because people are cluless when comes to wireless protection.

second reason, many wireless card routers manufacturees use default password , that widely oposted on the internet. so you better to chahge. plus to MAC address filtering.

Answer 8

yes they can. but you can have a secure network and you will be fine. all you need is to enter a password only one time and your and only yuor computer will remember it. eveyone who trys to use your network will be asked for a password [in numbers] and they will not know it so the connecton will be secure.

Answer 9

Yes they can - access to your bank account, general surfing maybe things like child porn which would then be registered to your ISP addy - get it secured.

Answer 10

Yes.