Question about internet security.

[Duerig]

I recently moved. In my new apartment it is possible to pick up someone else's wireless internet. Since we are poor college students we decided not to pay for internet and just use the neighbor's network. My question is this: is it possible for this to be a security risk? My entire (meager) bankroll is online and I would hate to have to rebuild it. I have all the usual security on my laptop: Adaware, spybot, zonealarm etc, if that makes a difference. Any help / advice is appreciated.

[k000k]

[ QUOTE ]
I recently moved. In my new apartment it is possible to pick up someone else's wireless internet. Since we are poor college students we decided not to pay for internet and just use the neighbor's network. My question is this: is it possible for this to be a security risk? My entire (meager) bankroll is online and I would hate to have to rebuild it. I have all the usual security on my laptop: Adaware, spybot, zonealarm etc, if that makes a difference. Any help / advice is appreciated.

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Yes, it's possible. Anyone near you can pick up wireless packets. I assume there's no WEP (which is crackable anyway) since you just automatically connect, so the wireless signal isn't being encrypted at a low layer. You will be relying on the encryption of the poker client program itself, I'd assume most clients encrypt data, but I'd check and see for myself before I sent that traffic over wireless, and I'd also wanna know what kind of encryption the client uses..

[Nfinity]

First off, this statement is rather dumb(not calling you dumb, just sayin') your leeching his WIFI, what's to stop others from doing so?

Your a node on the network, albeit a somewhat localized sub-net. Depending on the administratorss(that's the guy your stealing from) settings, other ppl who share the Wifi may have access to your computer. Anybody clever has access regardless. You can combat this by making your sub-net air-tight. Though again, anybody clever enough...

My advice, dont leech a connection without the knowledge to protect yourself

[MrBrightside]

well, it is certainly possible, if the person you're leeching from is very technically savvy. But if they were technically saavy, they probably would know how to secure their wireless connection....

It's a gamble. If you are really concerned, I would try to say hi to the person and see what they do. It could be they are technicaly saavy, but just don't care (I consider this unlikley.)

Anway, they could certainly install a trojan program on your computer if they were technically saavy enough, but your virus checker should catch that, but maybe not soon enough. All it would take is a once to login to your poker client and transfer the money, right? Personally, I wouldn't want the worry. I'd just buy my own connection.

[Derek in NYC]

Sitting on somebody else's connection is probably okay from a security point of view. Theoretically, somebody with a packet sniffer could figure out what you were doing if the data were unencrypted, non-SSL, etc. However, this likelihood seems pretty remote.

That said, I control my own wireless network, and have a number of security measures in place on my own system.

[k000k]

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But if they were technically saavy, they probably would know how to secure their wireless connection....

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Maybe he knows the OP is an online player, and enough of a mooch to leech onto someone else's wireless. Might be insecure on purpose, maybe he's allowing the OP access to his network to gain his passwords. I know plenty people devious enough and capable, if given the situation.

[MrMoo]

Is it a security risk: yes. Plain and simple. I don't think it would be very easy to do but it's definitely possible.

I believe Party clients communicate over SSL which would require someone to hijack the SSL session.

[snappo]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it a security risk: yes. Plain and simple. I don't think it would be very easy to do but it's definitely possible.

I believe Party clients communicate over SSL which would require someone to hijack the SSL session.

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[highlife]

[ QUOTE ]
I recently moved. In my new apartment it is possible to pick up someone else's wireless internet. Since we are poor college students we decided not to pay for internet and just use the neighbor's network. My question is this: is it possible for this to be a security risk? My entire (meager) bankroll is online and I would hate to have to rebuild it. I have all the usual security on my laptop: Adaware, spybot, zonealarm etc, if that makes a difference. Any help / advice is appreciated.

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If your online bankroll is big enough to worry about it getting hacked, it should be big enough for you to pay for your own internet and secure your own network. enough said.

[smoore]

Wireless is inherently insecure. An open network is obviously easy to intercept.

Poker sites use SSL. SSL is pretty damn hard to crack.

If I wanted to get someone's poker password I would break into thier house and put a keylogger on thier machine. *Much* simpler.

I think you'll be fine.

One option is to find the person and notify them that thier network is completely open. Show them how to put WEP encryption on it, disable the SSID broadcast and use MAC filtering. If they aren't douchebags they should be grateful enough to allow you to piggyback, at least for awhile.

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
Wireless is inherently insecure. An open network is obviously easy to intercept.

Poker sites use SSL. SSL is pretty damn hard to crack.

If I wanted to get someone's poker password I would break into thier house and put a keylogger on thier machine. *Much* simpler.

I think you'll be fine.

One option is to find the person and notify them that thier network is completely open. Show them how to put WEP encryption on it, disable the SSID broadcast and use MAC filtering. If they aren't douchebags they should be grateful enough to allow you to piggyback, at least for awhile.

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strong SSL (128 bit, pretty much standard) cannot be practically broken (theoretically it is possible but would literally take many many many CPU-years to crack). If it is ever broken trust me you will know about it, the world will probably shut down for a few days.

open wireless is insecure, but not much more than regular HTTP over, for example, a cable modem network, where your neighbors can snoop on you. You are also vulnerable to snooping from anyone who has access to any machines on the way to party poker servers. A disgruntled worldcom employee, for example.

bottom line is that SSL should be your main protection, and it's not impacted by open wireless.

[highlife]

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Poker sites use SSL. SSL is pretty damn hard to crack.

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As far as I know SSL has never been hacked. That is, the encryption has never been hacked. There has been some hacking involving certificates and websites, but that would not affect the SSL used by poker sites.

[Duerig]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Getting my own wireless isn't really an option. My roommate would be annoyed with having to split it with me (since we currently get it for free) and I wouldn't want to pay for it on my own. I don't play enough to make any significant money (yet?).

In case anyone cares, here's my plan:

I play 1/2 LHE. My bankroll is slightly over $600. I'll keep 100 BB (a few buy ins) on party and the rest in neteller or directly in my bank account. I'll transfer all the money between accounts as needed from my computer at lab (I trust my computer there). This way, all the sensitive info that I may be transmitting from home can cost me a max of 200 dollars.

I'll repost here (probably just bump this thread) if I get ripped off. Thanks again for all the advice.