Extra Reading Materials

Connecting to an open or public Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot at mamakStall/CoffeeBean/McD/Kopitiam exposes your laptop to security risks. Any bad guy can simply snift your transaction data. Although it is not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you (the user)… sometime it depend on brand… This default setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations with your (the user’s) awareness. Minimize your activity when connecting to public wifi.

My advice.. Never.. never… never perform any confidential activity such read email, Maybank2U, Open Personnal Social network Application when you’re connecting via public wifi…  use it for normal browsing activity such as read website, online newpaper etc… unless you use secured 3G connection from Celcom or Maixs… then you can trust your service provider for secured transaction.

To verify whether automatic connections to open Wi-Fi networks are allowed, check the computer’s wireless configuration settings. For example, on Windows XP computers having Wi-Fi connections managed by the operating system, the setting is called “Automatically connect to non-preferred networks.” To check this setting, follow these steps: 

1. From the Start Menu, open Windows Control Panel

2. Inside Control Panel, click the “Network Connections” option if it exists, otherwise first click “Network and Internet Connections” and then click “Network Connections.”

3. Right-click “Wireless Network Connection” and choose “Properties.”

4. Click the “Wireless Networks” tab on the Properties page

5. Click the “Advanced” button in this tab

6. Find the “Automatically connect to non-preferred networks” setting. If checked, this setting is enabled, otherwise it is disabled. 

While Windows XP does not enable automatic non-preferred connections by default, some users enable it in an attempt to simplify connecting to their own home network. Users should instead configure these as Windows XP Preferred networks which allows automatic connection to the home equipment yet still prevents auto-connection to other networks.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: security, wifi, wireless