Wireless Hotspots for Online Banking?

[kheyanne]

Right now, there are a lot of free and paid hotspots for wireless connections. Coffee shops, libraries, buildings, and airports all have these. How often do you guys use them? And do you do some online banking through them? Would like to know if I should...

[hazephase]

I would not surgest you to use online bank in a hotspot as there can be problem that you will get , you can also ask your bank if it is ok for you to do so . I use hotspots all the time but I have heard stories about them so be carefull

[JenniP]

Internet banking should be safe as it should all be SSL (HTTPS) encrypted. And with HTTPS the encryption starts at your PC so encrypted traffic would go over the wireless so even if (and given the fact its a public hotspot this is fairly likely) its unsecured the data would be safe.

Even if by some miracle they did manage to crack the HTTPS traffic using something like a man in the middle attack (Which isnt exclusive to Wireless but easier to to on wireless) most banking systems use several measures to authenticate you.

I use LLoyds TSB and their internet banking system uses a username and password, so assuming the data was insecure this has just been hacked, then they ask for 3 characters from a secondary password, so unless your password is only 3 characters (And I think they require at least 6) your account would still be reasonably secure.

Jen

[scorpiox]

Barclays are very similar to that, now that SSL has been beefed up and works well, internet banking is secure, as long as you use the actual site of the bank. Using a third party site isnt, and never will be secure.

~George~

[Smash]

I recently read a book on bio-computing (using DNA to make computers) and it was interesting on the section it had on mathematics.

It said that the mathematical theory of P=NP ( P=NP ) is what all SHTTP encryption is based on, this formula has never been proven as being true and should a mathematician ever prove it to be correct, then all online encryption could be cracked, kinda like the box in the film Sneakers.

As of yet the best mathematic brains on the planet have been unable to prove the theory as correct.

[attagirl]

I think if you are using the proper steps and being careful about where you are logging into when you use a hot spot then I would not be too terribly concerned about it. If you are then simply do not use it.

[scorpiox]

Thats true. It is also good to check what sort of security the hotspot itself uses, for instance WPA and WEP, as without that, anyone can read what your pc sends out and in, although if you are using HTTPS, there is a fair chance it is encrypted before it leaves the PC anyway...

[ceprateek]

You should not use any accounts in the network you don't trust because you never know that there may be some keylogger tracing you.

[niki]

If in emergency you have to use some untrusted network then use proxy sites as they help to surf the internet in anonymous way.

[funtoosh]

No i would not recommend using a insecure network for doing things like banking as your data can be intercepted very easily at the server.