Wireless internet connection on board

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
the chances of anyone snooping is so remote as to be difficult to measure

[/ QUOTE ]

In one marina last summer I was discussing the WiFi with another yachtsman. He said words to the effect that whenever someone logs on to the network he probes their computer to make sure who it is and that they're not malign, because, as he said, you can never be too careful. So, he told me, if my computer told me that someone was trying to access it from outside I shouldn't worry, it would just be him.

I'm not entirely clear what he meant, but it wasn't really very reassuring!

 

[BrendanS]

really depends on your computer skills and how much you know about networks.

His attitude is out of order, and if anyone on wifi started probing me, they wouldn't get too far. I probably wouldn't even know, as I'm secured on home networks. If I was on a marina wifi, my firewall would alert me if someone was overtly probing me, if it was on ports I had still open, otherwise, they wouldn't even see me, so couldn't probe. Probably makes little sense if you aren't into these things

Basically, you can be stealthed most of the time, so you cannot be probed. There are still areas where you can be probed though, otherwise you couldn't be on the internet, as a few channels to the internet still have to be open to communicate. If someone tries to probe you on those, you can probably pick them up.

If he tried it on me, he might not welcome the response, and at that point may well think I'm malign, but serve the twerp right, as he shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

 

[Guest]

Have I understood this right: that, unless you have got a software firewall properly set up on your computer then, if you are using an open WiFi system, anyone else logging on to the WiFi network has unrestricted high speed access to the contents of your hard disc?

If so, then next question: if you're logging on to your office system via a VTP secure logon, but you're doing it through an open WiFi network then, as I understand it, the messages sent between you and the office are encrypted and secure, but can the intruder still have free access to your hard disc anyway (assuming again no properly working software firewall)?

 

[BrendanS]

no. mainly

If someone has unrestricted access to your computer via any sort of internet connection, then they can do various things.

Normally, unless you have sharing set up, it's not that easy to gain access to a hard drive, so don't get paranoid

However, once someone can ping or other wise test out your connection, they have other ways of getting in. Not easy for your average punter, but not impossible. Not going to go into details here for obvious reasons. Easiest way of course is to send you a trojan which gains sys access to your computer.

Having a firewall in place is a very sensible thing on any type of network connection, wifi or otherwise, it protects you from all sorts of attacks. there are many of them. The other thing to do is make sure you download and install all the latest OS updates available - you can automate this so you don't forget.

If you want me to scare you, then if you are on any sort of internet connection, and don't have a firewall, and don't keep your OS updated, and don't have up to date antivirus, then the chances are someone could gain access to your hard drive with a bit of effort. Being on a local wifi network just makes it easier, as they can find you very easily.

The chances are, you'll be quite fine. But you ought to see how my firewall and other defences are hammered on occasions. A firewall and other minimal defences should always be there, no matter what else. Don't turn on file sharing unless you really know what you are doing.

Virtual logons to other networks are a different issue, and quite secure. Doesn't affect access to your hard drive from local networm like wifi.

The issue with wifi networks, is that it's easy to find other computers on that wifi network, if they don't take simple precautions, whilst if connected to internet at home or office, you are more lost amongst a huge huge number of others without the same abililty to get certain information about computers on the wifi network.

 

[ex-Gladys]

I went to a demo day at a major AV vendor a few weeks ago, and watched them demo a "script kiddy" getting access to another PC.... Scary. Also used the "target" as a bot to go out and harvest more info from other machines.

Brendan is right. Keep AV bang up to date. Good quality firewall on PC, encrypted WiFi connection, and keep Windoze patched up to the hilt

 

[Ships_Cat]

I think maybe I'll be the first who admits to frequently working from our boat (although I know other forumites do too) to respond on this thread /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

I use GPRS and have never found it a problem as long as one does not want to surf the net as it is then slow and expensive compared to land side broadband. Seems to run around same as V90 56kB modem speeds for me. 3G would be faster if in coverage (another has commented on the limits of that).

For emails if someone sends me a 10MB or whatever file I just do something else while it is downloading (or uploading if I send it). No real problem at all. This is almost aways away from marinas at sea or anchored somewhere remotish so is the only cheapish option for us. I have run big international tenders and pretty heavy type consulting stuff while anchored miles from civilisation. If I was going to be stuck in a marina forever and WiFi was available then that is what I would go for.

Never had a problem with security. Who worries on the internet for business stuff except, say, for financial transactions, as long as simple security is taken with WiFi (lots of offices on WiFi)? Never come across anyone who does worry any more than the basics and I deal with a wide range of business peeps in a number of countries using the internet land and sea - I just assume their security is ok at their end too. Remember you are just a small fish hidden in a boat, any crims are going to be more interested intercepting and sifting through big volumes of more gainful traffic rather than your little bit in case you type something of interest to them.

I am not in the UK so my mileage may be different - I understand you are an anxious lot /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

For business, what I have found good for working on a boat and use myself is a fixed cellular terminal. You can plug standard fones, faxes, whatever into it even though is mobile it replicates a normal fone line (a google on fixed cellular terminal or even FCT will pop them up). Can just connect a PC to them as well and away one goes just like on land.

If into SMS then one can get good PC apps for that (Derdack do a good free one).

John