Using free Wi-Fi to Gamboool......dangerous??

Phishy McFish · #1 06-23-2005, 01:59 PM

So for those of you sitting in the cafe, bookstore or even the fast food joints at this point......if you are logging on to you poker/casino accounts......aren't you putting all your personal information at a high risk??

krimson · #2 06-23-2005, 02:11 PM

Short answer, yes. Long answer, yes you are.

There was an article on this at www.cnn.com in the technology section yesterday. I'd assume it's still there.

Bill Bixby · #3 06-23-2005, 02:14 PM

you would have to be crazy to gamble using free Wi-Fi... Your basically just handing over your personal info to strangers.

YoureToast · #4 06-23-2005, 02:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
you would have to be crazy to gamble using free Wi-Fi... Your basically just handing over your personal info to strangers.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do it frequently; can you elaborate?

smoore · #5 06-23-2005, 02:19 PM

Yes, but they still have to break SSL encryption. That's not a trivial task. It would obviously be easy to intercept your packets on free wifi but they still have to get at the "meat" inside them. You are risking just as much if you use cable internet, as those are flat networks and sniffing your neighbors packets is nearly automatic, since you recieve them anyway. So:

- You are security minded and use WEP, etc on your wireless network connected to your cable provider
- Your neighbor is a hopeless wank who just plugged his linksys router in and let it run.
- I come along and leech his network, a few minutes later I can see everyone on the cable node
- I now have your and all of your neighbor's packets I want

jba · #6 06-23-2005, 02:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, but they still have to break SSL encryption. That's not a trivial task. It would obviously be easy to intercept your packets on free wifi but they still have to get at the "meat" inside them. You are risking just as much if you use cable internet, as those are flat networks and sniffing your neighbors packets is nearly automatic, since you recieve them anyway. So:

- You are security minded and use WEP, etc on your wireless network connected to your cable provider
- Your neighbor is a hopeless wank who just plugged his linksys router in and let it run.
- I come along and leech his network, a few minutes later I can see everyone on the cable node
- I now have your and all of your neighbor's packets I want

[/ QUOTE ]

this is the absolute truth. The fact of the matter is even when sitting at home with your bada firewall, your data is open and vulnerable to many many people between your laptop and the online poker site. If their implementation of SSL is flawed, it is possible for your info to get cracked anywhere, and if hackers are going to the trouble to do this then open WI-FI isn't really all that much worse.

Unless someone cracks their SSL encryption -- which is completely implausible unless the online site is totally incompetent. If that happens god help us all.

adamstewart · #7 06-23-2005, 02:30 PM

What about home-based-encrypted wireless internet access?

?

Adam

miajag81 · #8 06-23-2005, 02:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you would have to be crazy to gamble using free Wi-Fi... Your basically just handing over your personal info to strangers.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do it frequently; can you elaborate?

[/ QUOTE ]

smoore · #9 06-23-2005, 02:40 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What about home-based-encrypted wireless internet access?

?

Adam

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly, if you turn off "SSID Broadcast" and use WEP encryption, most wardrivers will just go on past you and look for someone easier. I know I sure do when I'm out and about and need a quick internet fix. I would have to KNOW you are a poker player and want to get to your passwords to make it worth it. If that's the case, simply breaking into your house and setting up a lipstick camera to try to get your passwords or installing a hardware keystroke sniffer would be an easier solution.

it's like locking your car door and putting valubles under the seat... most thieves will simply go looking for an easier target.

smoore · #10 06-23-2005, 02:44 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
you would have to be crazy to gamble using free Wi-Fi... Your basically just handing over your personal info to strangers.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do it frequently; can you elaborate?

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO, using free or pirated wifi is no more dangerous than handing your credit card to a waiter in a restaraunt. Make sure you're using good SSL (all the big sites do, dunno about the little guys) and make sure that your neteller password is different from your poker room passwords. You should also NEVER co-mingle passwords from online message boards (like 2+2) with any password used to protect money. Use a strong password on your neteller account, something like 8R^tt3%bh is good. I know you can't really remember it but if you type it enough your fingers simply "remember" it.