WiFi and privacy

[omega366]

If my friend and I were to share a connection using a wireless router and adopter cards, would he be able to find out what sites i visit and stuff i download?

 

[InlineFive]

If he cared enough to sniff your traffic or use monitoring at the gateway, yes.

 

[JackMDS]

. Locally you should protect your computer/s with Software Firewall.

Some information concerning both of you is stored in the Router's log.

If the Route's is your you can protect logging to the Router with strong password.

If the Router belong to both of you make a split password.

I.e. like in the movies, you type half of the characters and he types the other half.

So the two of you need to be around in order to access the Router.

 

[spidey07]

No matter what you do on the wireless encryption, getting anything and every site you visit is trivlal. Whoever has access to the Internet connection can get this info.

 

[omega366]

I f I were to log in to my online banking, would he be able to figure out my username and password? Also can he access my files and delete my movies, etc?

 

[KuJoe]

Originally posted by: omega366
I f I were to log in to my online banking, would he be able to figure out my username and password? Also can he access my files and delete my movies, etc?

People in a different country can do this, him being in the same building as you makes it that much easier. If you are both sharing a connection then he already has more than enough information to access your computer if you haven't protected it properly, and even if you have he still can if he's dedicated and smart enough.

 

[crashem]

how can you protect it? what is the best way/

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: KuJoe

Originally posted by: omega366
I f I were to log in to my online banking, would he be able to figure out my username and password? Also can he access my files and delete my movies, etc?

People in a different country can do this, him being in the same building as you makes it that much easier. If you are both sharing a connection then he already has more than enough information to access your computer if you haven't protected it properly, and even if you have he still can if he's dedicated and smart enough.

If you are using SSL (https) then no...the packets between you and the banks servers are encrypted, and that encryption cannot currently be brute forced/hacked. Even on an unencrypted wireless, I can't figure out your username and password AS LONG AS YOU ARE LOGGING IN FROM AN SSL PAGE.


Generally speaking, passwords are more often cracked using social engineering or brute force of poor passwords.