My husband and I are often on the road, and when we head out we always take along our laptops. We do, though, have totally different reasons for bringing them along. He likes to get online, and needs his internet fix. I, on the other hand, don't go online for anything. I prefer to do things like take notes, write blog posts, articles and things of that nature. Even though I like to go online, I don't do it while traveling. Wondering why?
The biggest reason - security. Many people I know, including my dear spouse, would not hesitate to whip out their laptops whenever they can get online. They particularly love free wireless offerings at hotels, airports, restaurants and coffee houses. I cringe, and hang on tighter to my laptop, disable all network access and say a little prayer for my friends.
If you don't already know, public wireless networks are not always secure. There are people who set up fake wireless networks with the intention of luring people to get on the Internet through them. They call these illegal networks evil twins because they are often set up in the same place as a legitimate wireless network. This confuses some users because they think the network is part of the legitimate service.
Once you get online through an evil twin's network, the operator will try to access your computer. In most cases they succeed. While in your computer, they'll attempt to look for sensitive data. Anything they can use or make money from including your business documents.
Someone who is setting himself or herself up as an evil twin can even go into your computer and install a program that just waits for the right time to steal your information. This secret program will sit quietly as you go about your business online and the minute you enter any sensitive information, it reports this back to the operator. Now that person has access to your account and likely many others since so many people use the same logins for multiple sites. Setting up a wireless evil twin network isn't hard to do, and it's so portable it can be carried in a backpack. People are out there doing this, so this isn't to scare you but to make you well aware of the hazards of using the internet while you travel.
Maybe you're thinking you'll be OK since you have firewalls and and other security settings installed on your laptop. Well, the problem with firewalls, is this. Your firewall security is likely set to high for internet connections but since you are dealing with an evil twin you'll need to remember that the network operator is on the same network as you. Security settings for in-network traffic is usually quite relaxed, allowing anyone on the same network to enter and leave as they please.
Think of a network as a home and each bedroom in the home is a computer. When you allow someone into your home, it is likely they will have access into each and every room. If you locked one of those rooms, it could stop them, depending on what you use and the quality of the room's doors and locks. So the best prevention is to not let people in the house.
You really are safest staying off the internet altogether, but if you must go online make sure you turn up your in-network security settings. Be safe by not opening any emails you are not positive about, and don't log into sites containing sensitive information. There is a commercial I've seen on TV that shows a couple sitting at a bar on the beach paying their bills. This is sending the wrong message so please don't do what they did! If you absolutely must check your email while you're away, try using your cell phone instead.
The biggest reason - security. Many people I know, including my dear spouse, would not hesitate to whip out their laptops whenever they can get online. They particularly love free wireless offerings at hotels, airports, restaurants and coffee houses. I cringe, and hang on tighter to my laptop, disable all network access and say a little prayer for my friends.
If you don't already know, public wireless networks are not always secure. There are people who set up fake wireless networks with the intention of luring people to get on the Internet through them. They call these illegal networks evil twins because they are often set up in the same place as a legitimate wireless network. This confuses some users because they think the network is part of the legitimate service.
Once you get online through an evil twin's network, the operator will try to access your computer. In most cases they succeed. While in your computer, they'll attempt to look for sensitive data. Anything they can use or make money from including your business documents.
Someone who is setting himself or herself up as an evil twin can even go into your computer and install a program that just waits for the right time to steal your information. This secret program will sit quietly as you go about your business online and the minute you enter any sensitive information, it reports this back to the operator. Now that person has access to your account and likely many others since so many people use the same logins for multiple sites. Setting up a wireless evil twin network isn't hard to do, and it's so portable it can be carried in a backpack. People are out there doing this, so this isn't to scare you but to make you well aware of the hazards of using the internet while you travel.
Maybe you're thinking you'll be OK since you have firewalls and and other security settings installed on your laptop. Well, the problem with firewalls, is this. Your firewall security is likely set to high for internet connections but since you are dealing with an evil twin you'll need to remember that the network operator is on the same network as you. Security settings for in-network traffic is usually quite relaxed, allowing anyone on the same network to enter and leave as they please.
Think of a network as a home and each bedroom in the home is a computer. When you allow someone into your home, it is likely they will have access into each and every room. If you locked one of those rooms, it could stop them, depending on what you use and the quality of the room's doors and locks. So the best prevention is to not let people in the house.
You really are safest staying off the internet altogether, but if you must go online make sure you turn up your in-network security settings. Be safe by not opening any emails you are not positive about, and don't log into sites containing sensitive information. There is a commercial I've seen on TV that shows a couple sitting at a bar on the beach paying their bills. This is sending the wrong message so please don't do what they did! If you absolutely must check your email while you're away, try using your cell phone instead.
Lynette Chandler helps entrepreneurs understand and apply the many powerful yet affordable tools are available to entrepreneurs today. Get this free course "How To Use Technology To Improve Your Marketing" today at TechBasedMarketing.com
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