Internet Security

[kikc69 45]

I need to go online to check on my banking account and also pay some bills. How safe if the internet in hotels. The hotel I am in has a passcode that is needed to log in to their wifi but I get a message that it is an unsecure connection. Would I be safer going to an internet cafe and doing my bill paying an banking there or do I just take a risk at either place?

[js007 795]

I need to go online to check on my banking account and also pay some bills. How safe if the internet in hotels. The hotel I am in has a passcode that is needed to log in to their wifi but I get a message that it is an unsecure connection. Would I be safer going to an internet cafe and doing my bill paying an banking there or do I just take a risk at either place?

 

I've never had a problem. I think, if your bank has an https connection, you should be OK. I'd rather use my own laptop than an internet cafe. I'm no computer expert, though. Maybe one of the experts around here can shed more light on the matter.

[Gary 4,118]

I would think the hotel is the safer option. I would NEVER trust an Internet Cafe. Neither are secure. If you are using your own laptop and have a Thai SIM card phone, you can use the phone's EDGE connection.

[fiferx 3]

I've always understood that Computer experts are able to recover details of every keystroke. Presumably via some preloaded software. If such software exists on the Hotel or Internet-Cafe computer then you are royally screwed if you signed onto your bank's website.

 

I would only do this via my own password-protected laptop.

 

Even this isn't totally secure but at least it's probably pretty safe.

 

The other options are extremely unsafe in my opinion.

 

Jim

[kikc69 45]

Thanks for the quick replies. I have my own laptop so will use that along with the wifi from the hotel.

[9cisco999 107]

Thanks for the quick replies. I have my own laptop so will use that along with the wifi from the hotel.

 

 

 

 

I didn't see in your post anything about any virus, male ware, Trojan or any other of the myriad of protections a PC requires. Do you have them installed? Probably a good idea to do that if you haven't already.

[gaijin 146]

For Internet Banking, you're safer using your own laptop over a wifi connection than a Internet Cafe. At least you can verify that your computer doesn't have a keylogger (records your keystrokes) installed. Most banks have very secure sites to do banking on.

[kikc69 45]

Yes I have Norton Anti-Virus installed. Connection at this hotel is so bad having problems getting on anyway. Can do some internet things but it is slooooooooooooooooow.

[Baxer 0]

A little warning to everyone using wifi hotspots and wifi connections at their hotel, you better read about "the man in the middle" http://www.fischertimes.com/english/how-to...pot-ssh-tunnel/

[highflier 3]

In my three trips, I brought my laptop to do all my banking with no problems. I used a cable modem connection though in my condo and the second trip condo had no internet so had to go to "cafe" on main floor to use their cable connection. My research about the Wifi is that you need to have a secure password to be safe. For the more experienced guys here, do they give you a secure one to use there?

[jacko 8,813]

In my three trips, I brought my laptop to do all my banking with no problems. I used a cable modem connection though in my condo and the second trip condo had no internet so had to go to "cafe" on main floor to use their cable connection. My research about the Wifi is that you need to have a secure password to be safe. For the more experienced guys here, do they give you a secure one to use there?

Sometimes they have a password...... like the name of the hotel.

Often they are just open (unsecure)....

[gaijin 146]

Most wifi routers can have their passwords easily cracked. So if a hacker really wants to steal your banking info while you're on a hotel wifi then he will. There are ways to lock down and secure your computer, but even those can be cracked by your serious hacker. But I really wouldn't worry about it too much, just don't do banking in a Internet Cafe.