What's a burner?
-----Original Message-----
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Scott Granados
Sent: August 20, 2017 5:53 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: One mistake people make using public WiFi, USA Today
Janina, whole heartedly agree. I’m going to go to Defcon next near and already
talking to friends about going I’m told not to use any of these services. In
fact I should bring a burner phone and make sure everything is encrypted. This
sort of policy though maybe minus the burner phone should be the norm. You
never know there could be some knuckle head, like me for example, the next room
over with a WiFi capturing device grabbing everything out of the air and
capturing it for what ever use you wish. I have such a box and use it for
demonstrating how shady public WiFi can be. You can take this box to a
Starbucks and then with in minutes start grabbing passwords, emails, financial
information and anything people are browsing right out of the air. I have a
hook in to Amazon AWS which then spins up enough virtual machines to crack some
ciphers or if you reverse things a bit you can direct attack encrypted WiFi
networks and many times break them open.
Now to be fair, the GSM protocols have been cracked but it’s not
trivial to do. Janina’s advice is very sound use your cellular connection and
ideally with a VPN on top. Then you don’t have to worry about snoopers nearly
as much. Some of these things also become even more important when traveling
over seas. If traveling to Russia for example you might just want to leave
your devices at home. China is also one where you need to think and again
possibly use a burner or leave the devices home. Depends on the value of the
data you host.
> On Aug 19, 2017, at 3:00 PM, 'Janina Sajka' via MacVisionaries
> <macvisionaries@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> Or, better still, with an unlimited data plan from your telco you can
> just skip the wifi and stay with your telco.
>
> I've been doing this at conferences I attend. I have a lot less
> trouble than my colleagues who are struggling with conference wifi and
> its vagaries.
>
> Janina
>
> M. Taylor writes:
>> One mistake people make using public Wi-Fi Kim Komando , Special for
>> USA TODAY Modern Greyhound buses offer free WiFi, a feature the
>> company hopes will attract younger travelers. (Photo: Greyhound) If
>> I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Avoid doing
>> anything you would not want anyone in the world to know on public
>> Wi-Fi. You may think you're safe in that busy café or big-name hotel,
>> but public Wi-Fi is a major liability. It doesn't matter how safe the
>> connection seems to be; your computer is vulnerable to hackers
>> because you have no idea who is really in charge of that router or
>> who has access to it and all the data that passes through it.
>> Knowledge is power. Learn how crooks attack your computer on public
>> Wi-Fi. There are lots of ways to protect yourself, of course. Your
>> best defense is a virtual private network (VPN), which can prevent
>> nosy strangers from snooping on your browser. You can also employ the
>> usual firewalls and antivirus software to defend your computer from
>> hackers and malware. Learn more about VPNs and safe browsing on
>> public WiFi. Even the best security systems have their weaknesses,
>> and you have likely never heard of this one: File sharing on a public
>> network can expose your computer to data thieves. This is a scary
>> problem because you may not even realize that you're sharing files.
>> But if your computer is on the wrong setting, you may attract any
>> number of cyber-criminals. So how do you make sure your computer
>> isn't leaking information by accident? File sharing is very handy,
>> especially for groups of people. Whether you're using iCloud,
>> Dropbox, or Google Drive, file sharing allows a large team to work on
>> a single project at once, or families to browse digital photo albums,
>> or data specialists to organize large batches of information. This is
>> very convenient, as long as you're on your own secure network. But if
>> you're sharing files on public Wi-Fi, your folders may be accessible
>> to anyone connected to the same public network. In other words, file
>> sharing automatically exposes your computer and everything you intend
>> to share. Your vacation photos may end up in the wrong hands, and so
>> could your contracts, spreadsheets, and tax information. In fact, you
>> don't have to be a hacker to take advantage of shared folders. Anyone
>> who looks around their network folders can instantly run a search and
>> find unguarded files. It works the other way around too. An attacker
>> can also set up a shared folder with malicious files. You may stumble
>> into the mysterious folder and think, "Wait a minute, where did this
>> come from? Then you click on it, releasing the malware onto the
>> desktop. There are other ways you can get into trouble. Learn how to
>> avoid getting hacked on the road. Want to ensure your privacy? Make
>> sure to turn off file sharing before you connect to public WiFi.
>> Here's how to do it: 1. Search for "Control Panel" then click on the
>> best match to open it. 2. Under "Network and Internet," click on
>> "View network status and tasks. 3. On the next page, click "Change
>> advanced sharing settings. 4. Under "File and printer sharing," tick off
>> "Turn off file and printer sharing. 5. To prevent network snoopers from
>> seeing your computer, tick off "Turn off network discovery" too. 6. Save
>> changes. 1. Open your Mac's System Preferences (the gear icon on your dock).
>> 2. Click on the "Sharing" icon. 3. On the next "Sharing Page,"
>> uncheck File Sharing. 4. I also recommend that you uncheck all the
>> other sharing services here when connecting to public Wi-Fi. 5. Close the
>> window and you're set.
>> Okay, you're done your business, and now you can log off of public Wi-Fi.
>> You've taken all the necessary precautions, and there's a good chance
>> none of your information was compromised. Just remember to switch
>> your file sharing back on when you get back to your home or office.
>> None of these services will work unless you restore your regular
>> settings. When you're back on your secure server, you can continue
>> sharing to your heart's content. How else can you protect yourself
>> from digital intrusion? Be sure to listen or download my podcasts, or
>> click here to find it on your local radio station . You can listen to
>> the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying
>> advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts .
>> Related:: How not to get hacked when using your plane's Wi-Fi
>> Copyright 2017, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.
>>
>> Original article at:
>> https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2017/08/18/one-mistake-
>> people-
>> make-using-public-wi-fi/577791001/
>>
>>
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> --
>
> Janina Sajka, Phone: +1.443.300.2200
> sip:jan...@asterisk.rednote.net
> Email: jan...@rednote.net
>
> Linux Foundation Fellow
> Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup: http://a11y.org
>
> The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
> Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures http://www.w3.org/wai/apa
>
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