The Security Mentor

Ever wondered how safe it is to plug into a strange network at the hotel or coffee shop?

There's a recent article in the New York Times about web surfing security for road warriors. It has a lot of bad advice.

For one thing, it doesn't matter if you use a credit card number on an untrusted network. It's scrambled before it leaves your computer. The big problem is protecting your email password, since most mail programs use stupid and obsolete login procedures that don't protect your password.

They're right that VPN ("Virtual Private Network") security protects you comprehensively. IF you're using your own machine. Never trust a rental computer. There's already been a case of someone installing spyware on a Kinko's computer that recorded people's passwords. Their suggestion to use a program like Roboform that answers password prompts without using the keyboard is dumb: spyware on the computer you're using could still intercept your passwords.

And don't trust a laptop cable lock unless you bought it from a clued-in locksmith. The ones that can't be picked with a Bic pen may tear out of the laptop when someone pulls hard.