Just how safe is Free WiFi at the Local Coffee Shop or say Mickey D's? Situation is such my Son is using the Free WiFi temporarily so as to keep intouch with recent Important Contacts... There may be one or two other people with laptops at anyone time in the evenings at the places he chooses to go Online..

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There may be one or two other people with laptops at anyone time in the evenings at the places he chooses to go Online..

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Yes, but I am sitting out in my car watching everything he does. Kind of boring to me but some one else might find it interesting.

That is how secure it is.

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Important Contacts.

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Na, just his Facebook friends.

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

Yes, but I am sitting out in my car watching everything he does. Kind of boring to me but some one else might find it interesting.

That is how secure it is.


Na, just his Facebook friends.

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Not a Case of Hovering over the Shoulder thing.. lol.. Being Free WiFi my query is whomever else could in the building drawing from the same free wifi.. Could they hack into his laptop?

Yes, it is possible.

I would def say it might not be as safe as if it were your own home network.. Cause people know how to get into computers and other stuff especially when they are on the same network I think I have seen videos about it on YouTube.

It can be hacked, but your home network, if using wifi at home, can be hacked also.
Just depends on how good the other person is, and the effort they want to do.

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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

It can be hacked, but your home network, if using wifi at home, can be hacked also.
Just depends on how good the other person is, and the effort they want to do.

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Yep, Emphasis on Trust for the time being.. One of those Hiccups when switching Service Provider, Dates get screwed up and your in the mitts of important email correspondence for that next Job Prospect...

The problem is that you can put security on your home network so that keeps the dregs out (serious hackers can probably get it if they really want) but the problem with public access wi-fi such as what you are talking about is that there is no security on it and it takes less skill to get in and get your information or capture whatever you are sending.

When data is sent from a PC, the data is broken up into small packets of data that is combined with addressing info indicating the source and destination. For someone to capture the info he is sending or receiving they would have to have a "sniffer" to capture the packets from the air. This is not hard, but not simple either.

I would not be hugely concerned about someone sitting outside the place trying to capture data on the off chance they can find something valuable.

Funny you should talk about that type of attack vector.
The "man in the middle" form has been used successfully to glean card details from a number of Big name super stores where the tills are wirelessly connected..

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

When data is sent from a PC, the data is broken up into small packets of data that is combined with addressing info indicating the source and destination. For someone to capture the info he is sending or receiving they would have to have a "sniffer" to capture the packets from the air. This is not hard, but not simple either.

I would not be hugely concerned about someone sitting outside the place trying to capture data on the off chance they can find something valuable.

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I voiced my concerns and they are fully aware of the Safety Factor and should someone wish to hack into or gain access , the Pot is Empty.. It's simply Important Email Correspondence concerning Job Prospects.. That's All.. lol..

If you are truely concerned you can use programs like Avast which have features in it that can prevent most hacking attempts. I suggest you look into some of those as they come in handy if he/she is filling out job applications online there is a lot of personal information being sent along. If it is just general things then dont worry about it. But what you have to remember is that most people tend to use the same passwords across the board and if you can get it from visiting one site then the hacker knows it may work at others. Always be aware and prudent in your choices when sending information online.

Many travellers all over the world use free wifi in coffees shops to keep in touch with those at home; MacDonalds has it, everyone uses it. I see no reason why it is unsafe. I have used it in various locations for years now and never been hacked.

So you have wifi in your own home, that's safe, so why not anywhere else in the world.

Come on guys, for heavens sake !

If you have your file sharing turned on for public networks with your homegroup... in theory your computer looks like a network drive with shared resources. Like another computer on your home network. I don't think that's the default setting, but its anyone's guess if someone or something has changed it at some point. If it has been, then anyone on that hotspot will see everything you have shared. You'd be surprised how many people actually do... and might not be aware.

Not everyone will, but a surprising number do. Having seen it first hand. And you don't need to be a geek to do it...they would show up under network on Windows explorer when they are.

If you use a VPN it is otherwise there is always a risk that one of the other users is capturing packets.

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Originally Posted by tickle

Many travellers all over the world use free wifi in coffees shops to keep in touch with those at home; MacDonalds has it, everyone uses it. I see no reason why it is unsafe. I have used it in various locations for years now and never been hacked.

So you have wifi in your own home, that's safe, so why not anywhere else in the world.

Come on guys, for heavens sake !

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Point Taken, they have a chose between 4 locations offering Free WiFi.. All within a couple blocks from home.. They move around and never more than 2 others at most using the free wifi at the sametime.. lol...