If you mooch wifi...

[bvanevery]

Plus I would NEVER ever use public wifi for doing sensitive things as online banking that requires passwords.

If you use public wifi at all, you're taking a risk of having your email account hacked somehow. if a hacker can get that, then they can typically send an "oh, I forgot my password" message to all sorts of places, and thereby get access. So I hope your bank has an additional level of security to deal with that. Services that you've used online with your credit card, probably not.

For this reason I can't say I'd "never" use public wifi to do a credit card transaction. I try to avoid it, but there have been times on the road when I was desperate and really had to get something done.

 

[caseyc]

It only takes one time for a hacker to break into your account to cause you months (or years) of financial misery. I used to work in banking and I've seen first hand what happens when fraud occurs. It's a headache to close accounts, dispute charges, open new accounts, hours of phone calls and filling out forms, etc. I simply won't ever do online banking via free wifi anywhere. I'd rather spend $100 a month to pay Verizon so I can do my online banking via an app through my smartphone. Better yet, I wirelessly tether my phone to my laptop for doing online banking when I need to do more complicated transactions. I would also never enter a password for email access via free wifi access. Only thing I *might* do via free wifi is simply browing the internet for news and Google searches.

By the way, for those who do use free wifi signal, do yourself a favor and at least install the free versions of antivirus and anti-phishing apps to your phone (or laptops) to help avoid malware or other unwanted bad things. I've been using both the free and paid version of "Lookout" app on my phone which helps to make sure no bad things enter my phone while browing the internet and installing new apps. I also use the free version of Norton Mobile and Avast!Mobile apps. My laptops also have various anti-virus and firewall apps installed as well.

I can honestly say that in all the years I've been using computers and portable electronic devices, I have NEVER ever crippled a computer or smartphone due to unwanted malware. I have also never encountered fraud on my accounts because I'm extra cautious to avoid such things. On the other hand I know friends who tell me their computers/laptops have been compromised due to malware or any number of things. These same friends don't take the extra OCD preventions that I practise, haha!

---

EDIT:
Here's an additional OCD measure that I routinely take. I will keep around an older laptop/smartphone/tablet that I don't particulary care about because I already use a newer/better device as my primary tool. The older device that I use (as a backup) will have pretty much zero information contained (eg: no contacts, no personal information, nothing of importance). About the only thing the older device will have are malware/anti-phishing/firewall apps installed. I will use the older device for online activities and browsing. IF in the event that the older device should encounter malware to the point the device is crippled, I will simply do a factore restore reset to wipe out everything and start new again. I would hate to have to do a factory restore on a new computer/tablet that has valuable information contained, it would be a huge hassle. That's why I don't use my "good" laptops/tablets for doing online browsing especially if a particular website might be "fishy" that I'm unfamilar with. I make sure my "good" devices are kept away from online harm. That's why I have older "disposable" devices for doing my "questionable" online activities, haha!

 

[bvanevery]

at least install the free versions of antivirus and anti-phishing apps to your phone (or laptops) to help avoid malware or other unwanted bad things.

Or if you're technically inclined, you could ditch Windows forever and go to Linux, thereby rendering such things a non-issue. That said, my minimally protected Vista system never succumbed to anything. Most horrors I've heard from people have been XP boxes. I do keep a spare laptop, but is simply in case my main laptop goes kablooey and I need to get online to figure out how to repair it.

 

[sl1966]

*makes and eats popcorn*

 

[Stargazer]

sl1966,

Pass the salt, please?

 

[caseyc]

Thanks, but no thanks for Linux. That would be for hardcore users. I'm not particularly hardcore. I didn't have any problems with Windows Vista either, my only main gripe was Vista was rather bloated and there was a bit of delay doing most anything. I can't stand delays, I want things to happen quickly instead of watching that hourglass busy icon spinning around. That was my experience at least, everyone's mileage will vary of course. I liked Windows 7 before Windows 8 came out. Nowadays I like Windows 8 (only) for its touchscreen ability but with the free Classic Shell app installed to provide Windows 7 functionality (including start button) to override the built-in Windows 8.

Or if you're technically inclined, you could ditch Windows forever and go to Linux, thereby rendering such things a non-issue. That said, my minimally protected Vista system never succumbed to anything. Most horrors I've heard from people have been XP boxes. I do keep a spare laptop, but is simply in case my main laptop goes kablooey and I need to get online to figure out how to repair it.

 

[bvanevery]

my only main gripe was Vista was rather bloated and there was a bit of delay doing most anything.

On my 7 year old Dell Inspiron 1720 desktop replacement laptop, which has a GeForce 8600M GT card in it, Lubuntu is significantly zippier than Vista and also gets better battery life. I've tried many distros and that's the one I prefer for performance + some degree of ease of use. Windows 7 was also better than Vista on this laptop, but after trying it for awhile I deleted it.

 

[offroad]

There is a iPhone app for jail broken devices called WIFIFOFUM PRO that will record signal levels and connections possible while you drive. You can obviously get a yagi beam antenna for when you stop and point it directional to spin it around finding all wifi nearby.

Of course only advocate connecting to systems you have permission to be on. Maybe sharing a VERIZON cell data connection with others in camp with ease.