It's easy to ignore Wi-Fi security. Nothing bad has happened to you - yet - and you've been connecting to truck stop hotspots for quite a while. Do yourself a favor; start taking hotspot security seriously.
For detailed information regarding Wi-Fi hotspot security you can pick up a copy of Over the Road Wireless For Dummies. Part IV, consisting of Chapters 10, 11 and 12, deals exclusively with hotspot security; both the threats and the methods of thwarting them.
Due to the very nature of Wi-Fi hotspots, offering, for example, no encryption protection for users, a serious set of security issues are present. Hackers, for example, can sit in a truck stop parking lot or airport lobby sniffing Wi-Fi transmissions for things like passwords and credit card numbers. They can also beckon users who have enabled ad-hoc connections and file sharing; getting direct access to their hard disks. Scary, huh?
This doesn't mean you should stop using Wi-Fi hotspots; it just means you need to safeguard yourself. Here's my top ten steps to Wi-Fi Hotspot Security...
Be Aware
One of the most common methods of stealing personal information from trucker's laptops is decidedly low-tech. The would be info-thieves simply watch your fingers and sneak a peak at your laptop screen.
When you're entering a PIN number into a pay-phone or ATM machine you probably make sure no one's paying close attention and you might make an attempt to hide your actions. Do the same thing when you're entering usernames, passwords, or credit card information into your laptop. Besides trying to hide your fingers you should do what you can to hide your screen from prying eyes.
Lock Your Laptop
Continuing with the theme of thwarting low-tech threats; one of the simplest methods of securing the information stored on your laptop hard disk drive is to lock your laptop. Over 80% of the laptops on the market are equipped with a Universal Security Slot (USS) that allows them to be attached to a cable lock or laptop alarm. (26.5 million veterans and 243,000 Hotels.com customers wish that the Veterans Affairs and Ernst & Young employees, whose stolen laptops contained their personal information, had used laptop locks.)
While laptop locks may not stop a determined band of truck stop thieves armed with bolt cutters, they'll definitely deter the casual thief who might take advantage of you if your distracted, leave your truck unlocked, or leave the table for a bathroom break.
Laptop cable locks, which cost between $30 - $50, can be found at office supply stores or online discount vendors like Buy.com
or Newegg.com
. In addition to the quality of the cable, consider the quality of the lock. (Tubular locks are preferable to the common tumbler lock design) And remember: They only work if you use them properly. Tether them to a strong immovable and unbreakable object. For example, if you're in a restaurant you can wrap the cable around a table leg and, if you leave your laptop in your truck, you can wrap the cable around the steering wheel or through seat belt loop.
Among the best of all the available locks is the Kensington MicroSaver Alarmed Computer Lock which is a high quality tubular cable lock that also incorporates a loud, motion triggered, alarm. Don't forget to shut it off before you leave the table!!
Besides locking your laptop you can further deter the delinquents by affixing a STOP Security Plate on your laptop. These plates, which are difficult to remove, leave an indelible tattoo on your laptop, making any unauthorized resale of the stolen property virtually impossible. They also assist the authorities in the recovery of your laptop.
Password Protect Your Laptop
Okay, so let's say you've done all you can do to prevent the theft of your laptop but, as fate would have it, your laptop is indeed stolen. Well, if that happens, you don't want to compound the loss of your property by having your identity stolen, as well. Requiring the use of a strong password to logon to your laptop is one excellent way to frustrate the thieves.
There are a number of vendors offering stealthy software solutions that enable your laptop to periodically contact a tracking center using a traceable signal. In the event your laptop is lost or stolen, these agencies work with the police, phone company, and internet service providers to track and recover your laptop. CompuTrace, Secure-It, Stealth Signal, and ZTrace all provide tracking services for corporations and individuals.
Use a Firewall
When you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot you're joining a wireless local access network (WLAN) that includes a bunch of unknown laptops; and these unknown laptops pose a greater threat to your security than any computer located elsewhere on the Internet. Why? Well, its because the laptops that are part of your WLAN are more easily able to intercept traffic between your laptop and the hotspot access point or attempt to make a connection with your computer; thereby gaining access to your hard drive.
Windows XP includes a firewall within the Security Center and, while the Windows firewall isn't bad, I prefer to use ZoneAlarm Free. The Windows firewall does a decent job of blocking inbound traffic but ZoneAlarm Free blocks inbound and outbound traffic. It also monitors internal traffic. If your laptop is infected with a Trojan Horse or some other backdoor program, ZoneAlarm Free blocks, flags and alerts you of the unusual internal communication attempts; protecting your laptop from attacks via the Internet as well as from attacks by computers within the WLAN. It takes a little longer to configure the ZoneAlarm firewall but, believe me, the peace of mind is well worth the effort.
