We have now reached the second half of July, it's very hot and we can't wait to go on vacation, to the sea, to visit in some city to discover or to rest in the mountains. Away from home and the office, the only thing that could be missing and people like us is the internet and all that we have used assiduously for a year: the email box, the blog, the social netowork, Facebook or Twitter, the role-playing online game and many other devilries to which, because of me, it can be difficult to stay away. OK, I'm exaggerating, however, someone will surely take their laptop with them while someone else will count on finding an internet point to connect to on the holiday spot.
In this post we see some safety tips while traveling to use a public pc or an open Wifi network in a prudent way .
READ ALSO: Surf safely on public or unsecured wifi network
I want to say security because many are unaware that, when you connect to a computer that is used by 1000 people or when you use an unsecured or freely available wireless connection, everything that is done online is always recorded and stored. Important data can therefore be seen and by external people who could then steal them and use them for unlawful purposes. It would not be strange at all to have to go to the bank's website to top up the PostePay, to make a payment via PayPal, or visit the RyanAir site to book a trip or, again, to make Voip calls with a relative or use Messenger or Facebook to communicate with friends from abroad.
The advice I feel I can give is different but there can be many others that, if they come to your mind, you can share in the comments.
If you use a public pc of an internet point or a hotel, follow these indications:
1) First, never ever save your passwords and login credentials on the sites. For example, when you enter Gmail, Yahoo mail, Facebook and company, you must never select that option where you remember the access data for subsequent visits. When you end a session, remember well, before closing the browser, to log out or disconnect from the service by pressing the button that is always at the top right on the various sites.
2) Never ever write your bank's password or login or a credit card data on a public PC because there could be a Key Logger or one of those programs that record what is written on a keyboard. In another article we have indicated several tips to protect bank and credit card data on the internet and, among them, there was also the use of an Anti Key Logger, or a portable program in a USB stick, with a on-screen keyboard so that the password can be written by clicking on the letters and not by writing it.
3) After surfing the internet, it is always advisable to delete all traces and history from the browser .
In another post I had deepened the topic by indicating how not to let the browser memorize anything that has been done on the internet in a preventive way, which cannot be done on a public PC. The important thing however is to clear the cache of Chrome or Firefox.
4) If possible, insert your USB stick with the portable programs loaded above and use those.
Portable programs are those that should not be installed and that can be used on any PC by starting them from a USB stick.
In another article I have included the best suites that include an entire portable operating environment and I have listed the best portable programs among which Firefox, Opera or Chrome browsers, chat programs for MSN Messenger or Facebook such as Pidgin or Digsby or better yet, use Web Messenger for chats (see Web Messenger list).
5) It seems trivial to say it but, when using a public pc, it is always better to look around and avoid being spied on.
As for the possibility of connecting to a public WiFi network with your computer, there are other recommendations, less iron but always important.
1) First of all, remember that when traveling and owning a wireless laptop, it is definitely worth looking for a free public hot spot rather than an internet point.
To find free public hotspots (see related article) there are several programs that manage to locate them on the map of the whole world.
2) Your computer must be protected from any network intrusion.
As explained in another post, if two PCs are in the same network, they can be seen and one can read the other's data. To avoid getting caught and spying in a computer way then you need to have a good firewall (I always recommend Comodo Firewall among the best free). If you don't have a firewall, remember that Windows still has an integrated one that you can and must activate from the control panel.
3) Don't make the common mistake of leaving your laptop on, walking around and keeping your wireless connection always on . Keeping the Wifi turned on it could happen that the computer automatically enters some free network without being noticed and, for the same reasons as in point 2, this is absolutely insecure.
4) Passwords and important data, keep them in your head and do not write them anywhere on the computer because, in addition to the danger of being hacked by some hacker, if this is lost or stolen, it would be really a problem.
5) If there is a need to store sensitive and important data on the PC or USB stick, protect them with programs that hide and encrypt files such as TrueCrypt or the simpler WinMend.
6) Disable hotspots on the go from Windows 10.
7) After using the computer, all traces of what has been done and seen can be removed.
8) Optional but that gives a lot of security, use an anonymous VPN while surfing the internet as indicated in the related article.
Last thing about the connections via cell phones or wifi keys: in the case of travel and travel in Italy, you can use the key using some offers (see the comment on the available wifi rates here) but if you go abroad, it is useless to stay in use Italian subscriptions that cost dear, better then take your key with you, go to a local mobile phone shop and buy a new card.
Now you can also go safely to that country and surf the web peacefully, so have a good trip and come to visit me, every now and then, to tell me where you are !!
