[SCCC] FYI: Protection Agaisnt Hacked Wi-Fi Transmissions

[Cliff K3LL]

Hi Larry,

Similar to the iPhone "hot spot" solution, but frees up your phone... I use
the Verizon "data card"  It plus into your computer via USB.  There is also
a version that is a mini WifI device "JetPack" (up to ten devices) that you
can set up with its own security and connect to via WiFi (you are creating
your own WiFi network using the cell network as the main connection).  All
of these devices run on the 4G network.  Other carriers have similar devices
too.

Though I don't need it that often, for remote communication back to the home
office computers, I use PCAnywhere.  I've used GoToMyPC and it works well
too, I just like the idea of buying it one time vs. a subscription for
GoToMyPC I don't use that often.

73,

Cliff K3LL/6

-----Original Message-----
From: SCCC [mailto:sccc-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of H Lawrence
Serra
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 9:37 AM
To: sddxcnews at yahoogroups.com; sccc at contesting.com
Subject: [SCCC] FYI: Protection Agaisnt Hacked Wi-Fi Transmissions

Slightly off-topic:

Since my last ATT/Yahoo email account hijacking while on travel, using a
hotel's unsecured wi-fi, I have done some research and discussed the problem
with others more knowledgeable than I.

I use GoToMyPC, a secure remote log-in to my office computer. GTMPC has a
 feature called "one-time passwords" for travel, which issues a 
list of password keys that you use one at a time when you log-in, so if
 anyone captures that P/W, it is invalid if they try to use it the next 
time. But even using my secure GoToMyPC connection to the secure ofc 
computer isn't much protection if I send over it the log-in info for the 
secondary ATT/Yahoo account over a hotel's unsecured wi-fi. It's still 
easily readable by hackers. 

Best suggestion I've heard so far is
 to use my iPhone (or any smartphone or Blackberry) as a modem hard-wired to
the travel laptop or iPad, so
 you are transmitting over your secure (I hope) data network rather than
 hotel's unsecured wi-fi. 

And good advice is that when making 
hotel reservations, make sure they have a secure wi-fi, protected with not
general but specific passwords-- you know, the kind where they print 
out a specific, discrete, alpha-numeric password for each guest when he 
checks into the hotel. (But I've read up on this, and it is amazingly 
easy with open source software for a hacker to decrypt any of these 
wi-fi router passwords in a few seconds.)

Anyway, email hijacking aside, if your travel communications are important
and need to remain confidential, it is worth it to take additional security
measures to increase communications security.

I know there are many others of our ham groups who know a lot more about
this. If anyone has specific information on how to effect better
communications security, especially on travel, please speak up.

73, Larry N6NC


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