Do the VPN services available really provide better security when
connecting through public wi-fi connnections?  I'm considering one for use
when I travel.  Thanks!

Patty

On  9-Apr-2007, Patty <pa***@iainttellin.com> wrote:

There are public ones and they work after a fashion, because
being both free, and public, they are heavily overloaded.

Main problem is at peak loading they won't set up a
connection.

You can however pay for a premium faster connection
beyond the VPN network. Haven't tried this.

No internet connection is 100% secure, there are
packet loggers, sysops at any point where the
data is unencrypted/decrypted can read login
usernames, passwords, and for online sales or
banking all they need for fraud/identity theft if they are
so disposed.

For banking dial up is probably the most secure,
decoding the modulation if the line is tapped
difficult, the transmission should (padlock) be
encrypted, end to end. So any compromise
would be at your bank, or their overseas call
centre selling your details. But they would
blame you.

Second user PC's can have been used for
eCommerce and the HD contain all your details,
amazing what you can buy at Commercial
Effects auctions. eBay is probably fairly secure,
they are regulated by the Financial Services
Authority, which creates some accountability,
and the vendor never gets to see your card details.

That said if you think about all the possibilites you
can get quite paranoid about security.
Sensitive information I put on a USB pen drive,
using a long passphrase (UC, LC, numbers and
punctuation characters) "I'm going 2 {add the rest
yourself}" with Blowfish encryption.
Governments and global multinationals might
crack it, the average hacker would be struggling.

Hi
Most of free hotspots are Not secure.  As a result you Wireless traffic
intercepted easily and the information real available to the Hacker (that
might include banking and other sensitive information).
Using VPN encrypt the info, so even if it intercepted it is for no use to
the Hacker.
However VPN can work only when you have a VPN server on the other side, so
it is used by people to connect to their own server or their businesses
servers that VPN enable.
You cannot connect or generally surf other Internet location unless you have
a pre arranged VPN system. (http://www.ezlan.net/vpn.html )
Jack (MVP-Networking).

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On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 11:44:22 -0400, Jack (MVP-Networking). wrote:

That's what I was asking about.  There are VPN services that you can buy
for an annual fee such as Witopia PersonalVPN and JiWire Hotspot Helper.
Was just wondering if anyone was familiar with this type of service.

I"m not interested in connecting to my home network while traveling, but
just having some encryption while using the internet from a public wi-fi.

Patty

Hi

These services work via the proxy idea.  I.e. all you Wireless connection is
encrypted and goes first to their server, get decrypted and continue t the
Internet.

It does add security to the Wireless, however, the proxy company has a track
of your activities (not necessarily bad but should be known).

I do not such a service so I can not recommend any, Search the Internet
using terms like "xyz trouble" xyz being the name of the service, and see
what users and reviewers are saying.

Jack (MVP-Networking).



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On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 19:16:23 -0400, Jack (MVP-Networking). wrote:

Show quoteHide quoteThanks, Jack.  I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with them.
I'll try doing a search as you've suggested.

Patty

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