Hi Ronnie et al. This is another viewpoint rather than a criticism:
I note your comment "Also another reason why I don’t use Firefox as my Internet Browser..." It should be clarified that that *the article you referred to is in no way suggesting that Firefox is any less secure for the user than other browsers*, but simply that it can be used as a platform for some people who choose to use a dodgy add-on for firefox called fire sheep. This then becomes a security issue for those around that person who are unwittingly browsing via an unsecured wifi connection. Avoiding firefox as a matter of principle because it can be used this way may be a valid choice. However on those grounds we may also choose to avoid using cars because they can be used by bank robbers and drunk drivers. A quick web search of browser security ratings may show any browser being touted as the most secure on any given week... which then usually changes in a week or two. An interesting statement was given in this article: http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/test-center-guide-browser-security-250?page=0,4 (which is a little older again than the one you referenced) *The most secure browser* *Which of the browsers tested can claim to be the most secure? Here's the big shocker: None of the fully patched browsers allowed silent infections or exploitation beyond simple DoS attacks. All of the browsers stopped the latest malicious attacks available on the Internet. Occasional zero-day attacks could silently infect a particular browser during a particular period of time, but all of the browsers have this same risk, and all of the browser vendors in this review are fairly consistent in patching significant problems in a timely manner.* *Hence, the overall conclusion of this review is that any fully patched browser can be used relatively safely. You can change browsers, but your risk is the same with all of them -- nearly zero -- if your browser, OS, and all add-ons and plug-ins are fully patched*. (And, yes, it goes on to give an example of user activated trojans on Windows Vista which doesn't mean Macs are immune, as we are clearly seeing now.) The fact that Safari is still only used by less than 5% of desktop/laptop users (despite Mac having around 12% market share in Q4 2011) may enable it to "fly under the radar" a little from both security analysts and, perhaps hackers to some extent, but that does not necessarily mean that it is more secure. Anyway I love my mac but I don't like Safari much as don't, apparently, many other mac users. I develop websites and service windows & mac computers and use the internet widely, every day. I use Firefox mostly, Chrome quite a bit and Safari occasionally (& IE on work computers & via vmware occasionally) and have not had any security issues with any of them. Then again, I've still not had a security issue with firefox or chrome on my windows pc's in 15 years either fortunately. (Let he who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls). Being careful and keeping software up to date are certainly key factors. In the last few years using opendns.com has helped too. *Anyway as I said, that is not a criticism or an argument… just an alternative point of view.* And Cloak does look like it could be useful :-) Thanks Ronnie & all WAMUG contributors. Keep up the good advice and helpful dialog. Regards Shayne On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 10:12 AM, Ronda Brown <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello WAMUGers, > > Especially people who occasionally use Public Wi-Fi Networks (Hotspots); > Unsecured Wireless Networks; found in coffee shops, hotels, airports and > conferences. > Yesterday as I was waiting for a Logic Board replacement being done at > MacWorx Joondalup, I popped over to a coffee shop to rush off a couple of > emails and enjoy a latte. I really needed a 'Caffeine kick’ and did need to > send these emails. > > I sent the emails as quickly as possible, and took more time enjoying the > wonderful ‘life saving’ latte ;-) > While enjoying my coffee I started to think about the risks of using my > computer, iPhone or iPad on this type of public Wi-Fi network. > > It goes without saying… I of course would never access a Financial Site > (Bank etc) or any site that required me to type in my login details! > I do have a reputation as being very security conscious... (& of course > I’m always on about having current Back Ups ;-) > > So when I arrived home with new Logic Board replaced in MBP I did a bit of > reading and searching about an easy way to quickly setup a Virtual Private > Network (VPN) for this type of situation. > > I found “Cloak” which I will try out next time. So thought I would post a > bit about this problem and one way to hopefully protect WAMUG members who > use Public Wi-Fi Networks sometimes. > > <https://www.getcloak.com/about/features/> > > <http://blog.getcloak.com/about/tech/> > > "WHY CLOAK? > Cloak is a service for your Mac, iPhone, and iPad that keeps you safe when > you’re connected to public wireless networks like those found at coffee > shops, hotels, airports, and conferences. > > Exactly how unsafe are public hotspots?" > > VERY unsafe! > > Also another reason why I don’t use Firefox as my Internet Browser. > < > http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9193201/How_to_protect_against_Firesheep_attacks > > > > Cloak secures your Internet traffic without the hassle: > < > http://www.macworld.com/article/1165985/cloak_secures_your_internet_traffic_without_the_hassle.html#lsrc.nl_mwgems_h_crawl > > > TinyURL if link above doesn’t work: <http://tinyurl.com/7emp4mc> > > /Quote: > Cloak secures your Internet traffic without the hassle > By David Chartier, Macworld.com - March 20, 2012 > > Thanks to iPads, iPhones, and ever-lighter MacBooks, we’re doing more work > and play while on the go than ever before. > A caveat of working this way, however, is that most public Wi-Fi networks > (hotspots) are anything but secure, which means they’re prime targets for > would-be hackers, identity thieves, and general do-no-gooders. > If you’re lucky, your company provides you with a virtual private network > (VPN) for securing your Internet activities. > But if you’re like the rest of us, you need to fend for yourself if you > want to hide your login credentials, email, and other sensitive activity > from prying eyes. > That’s where Cloak comes in. > > Put simply, Cloak is a VPN that just works. It encrypts all your Internet > traffic so other users on the same network can’t snoop over your shoulder, > so to speak. But Cloak does away with the typical VPN song and dance of > digging into System Preferences and filling in a bunch of cryptic server > details and protocols—not to mention having to shop for and set up your own > VPN service in the first place. With Cloak, you simply sign up for an > account at GetCloak.com and install a little menu-bar utility. > /End Quote > > > Cheers, > Ronni > > 17" MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Quad-Core i7 “Thunderbolt" > 2.3GHz / 8GB / 750GB @ 7200rpm HD > > OS X 10.7.3 Lion > Windows 7 Ultimate (under sufferance) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings & Unsubscribe - < > http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
