Sometimes it’s nice to get out of the office and focus. A lot of small business people I know, including me, like to work at a local Starbucks or a favorite cafe once in a while. Like Dustin Hoffman in that brutal scene in Marathon Man, the questions is, is it safe?
Almost all wireless networks in a public area are not secure, meaning they do not employ wireless security such as WEP (Wired Equivalent Policy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). However, most people justify working on an open network in the same way most people justify smoking. Sure it’s dangerous, but the odds are I’ll be fine. Truth is, it’s not safe at all. Here are 5 things you can do to keep yourself safe when you’re sipping your Latte.
1. Make sure you’re on the right wireless network
Other laptops at your cafe can pretend to be the cafe’s wireless network. They can then intercept everything you send, and even change what you see. These are called “man in the middle” attacks, and have just been covered in some recent research. Problem is, how can you tell if you’re on the real network? You can’t.
2. Use Web mail only
Microsoft Outlook, and other mail programs are completely unsecure. Basically, any 7 year-old can read your email by using free wireless sniffing tools. Your web mail program likely enrypts your data using using something called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), and makes hackers’ jobs much close to impossible.
3. Avoid banking and other sensitive tasks
No matter how safe you feel, you’re always better doing these on either a secure network or a wired network.
4. Get a mobile broadband card
While these aren’t cheap (about $35-$80/month), they are substantially more secure than using an open wireless network. Plus, these work anywhere, not just at your cafe.
5. Never use “surrounding“ networks
Hackers sometimes set up open networks around cafes to lure customers who think that it’s simply a home network somebody left unsecured. Once you get on, they’re listening in on everything you’re doing, and they don’t even have to pretend to be your cafe’s network. Don’t fall for it.
Do these 5 things, and you’re well on your way to enjoying your lattes for years to come.
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Hi, Rafi! Nice blog! But if you can’t tell whether the WiFi network you’ve selected is the real Starbucks one or a “man in the middle,” how can you ever safely surf at Starbucks? I always thought that cumbersome AT&T login process with my Starbucks card # established the authenticity of my connection; not true?
Hi David – Thanks!
The login process that you go through only serves to get you on to the network. It does nothing to secure the network once you’re on it.
You can’t really be secure working at Starbucks. Which is why we always stress to use secure web sites, to chose webmail applications instead of unsecured e-mail clients (e.g. Outlook), or to avoid sensitive tasks (e.g. online banking).
Please explain “use web mail only”. Details. Since Outlook can’t or shouldn’t be used, what can a person use on these networks???
Good question. Most email services allow you to view your mailbox online through your browser instead of using a mail client such as Microsoft Outlook. For example, if you have a Verizon email account, you can go to verizon.net and view your inbox there. These online versions of your mailbox often use encryption and are thus less vulnerable to attackers.
Best,
Rafi
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