Safe public surfing

According to the AAA, a lot of us will be traveling this summer, despite the painfully high gas prices. That means that for many people, the next few months will be a prime time for sightseeing, for visiting family and friends, and for online identity theft.

The Internet has become so useful to many of us that even during our vacations, we will need a way to keep up on email, to access the server at the office, or to check the bank account. For some, this will mean using public computers, and for others it will mean using a laptop on a public Wi-Fi connection. Using either of these methods to access the Internet may increase your risk of online identity theft.

Public computers are available in many hotels, libraries, coffee shops, and other places. They are convenient, but unless you are careful, you could leave behind all sorts of information about how you used a public PC, including what sites you visited and perhaps your login information at some websites.

In addition, anyone using a computer in public needs to be concerned about “shoulder surfers.” These are people that surreptitiously observe what you type, or maybe even video record it in the hopes of capturing your confidential login information.

There are also people like the fellow that was convicted of installing k eystroke logging software on the public computers at 14 Kinko’s stores. The software recorded everything Kinko’s customers people typed into the infected PCs, enabling the crook to steal the online financial identities of more than 450 people.

Here are some suggestions about safely using a public computer:

1. Avoid doing anything on a public computer that requires a confidential username and password.
2. Formally exit any websites you have logged onto before you walk away from the computer.
3. If Windows offers to save your logon information at websites you visit, just say no.
4. Be extra watchful of your surroundings during the times that any sensitive information is displayed on the screen.
5. Before leaving the PC, delete the temporary Internet files and your history.
6. Consider using a product like StealthSurfer. This is a tiny flash drive that you plug into the USB port on a computer. It is preloaded with a Web browser, email and password-management software. When you plug it in, the StealthSurfer software prompts you to log on to it, and from then on, everything you do on the Internet is stored on the flash drive, not the PC. When you are through using the public computer, put the StealthSurfer back in your pocket, and leave no tracks on the public computer.

Even if you are using your own laptop, but you are using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, you are at risk. If the wireless network is not well-secured, and many of them are not, there could be someone nearby using “sniffing”software to capture data being sent to and from your laptop.

If you will be using a public Wi-Fi connection, here are some tips for protecting your online identity:

1. Be sure that you keep your antivirus and antispyware protection up-to-date.
2. Make sure your personal firewall is turned on and functioning.
3. Employ a VPN or some type of secure method of connecting back to your office network.
4. Consider a service like hotspotvpn.com which encrypts data to and from your laptop on the fly.

Summer is a fine time to get away. The wise traveler will also take appropriate steps to prevent online identity thieves from getting away with it.