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Originally Posted by keithmdw
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I will be using my soon-to-be-delivered X51v on a trip soon and will have to use a hotel wifi network for internet access.
Now I understand that the traffic can be intercepted and disseminated and so would obviously avoid anything I didn't want being compromised (ie. entering credit card numbers).
I can sign into Yahoo Mail using SSL ..... Could anyone access my Mail other than the pages I view? They won't have my login so I guess will only see pages I request and they intercept?
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If you access your email via SSL, in order to view the pages you end up viewing they would need to crack the SSL encryption. Off the top of my head the numbers are in the trillions of possible combinations at 128bit encryption, which running a team of systems to try and crack would hundreds of years. In other words, if you do anything over SSL assuming you connect with 128 bit encryption, they won't see squat.
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Originally Posted by keithmdw
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Also, would using IMAP4 be more secure than using HTTP for Yahoo Mail, as I understand that I can IMAP4 to the account (though I have not looked into this)?
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IMAP is plain text. HTTP is also plaintext so neither one will really be any better than the other. HTTPS (what you mentioned for Yahoo mail) is your best and safest bet. All others will be easily readable.
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Originally Posted by keithmdw
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And I assume Skype is already secure in terms of someone intercepting the login details and/or conversation?
Also, is there anything I can do, buy, sign up to, which will secure all my traffic while surfing on the hotel wireless network?
Thanks
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From this PDF -
http://www.simson.net/ref/2005/OSI_Skype6.pdf
Skype is encrypted. Unlike traditional telephony and other VoIP-based systems, Skype claims to encrypt all communications with 128-bit or better cryptography ciphers, allegedly making it impossible for someone who passively intercepts a Skype conversation from deciphering or listening to its contents.
Realistically - as long as everything you do is via HTTPS or encrypted traffic such as Skype you will be fine. There really is nothing software wise you can do to avoid traffic being intercepted on a public wireless access point, but if the traffic is encrypted ... they will just be looking at a jumble of characters anyway.
:approve: