recommended software protection in hotspots and open WANs?

L

Liam

I'm getting a new notebook with Windows Media edition, and I'm planning
on using it in wireless hotspots, like on campus and Barnes and Noble,
and was wondering what people would recommend to help protect you from
such secure-less connections?

I found Steganos Anonym VPN https://steganos.com/en/products/siavpn/
but $100 for a year of service seems pretty steep. Even though it
sounds like the best protection!
I hate Norton, so please don't recommend Norton products.
What about any of the regular software firewalls like ZoneAlarm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/appli...k.skuList&dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en&lid=nav_ss
or AVG http://grisoft.com/doc/197/lng/us/tpl/tpl01 , do they even
protect against possible open WAN/hotspot intrusion attempts?

Thanks for any feedback!
Liam
 
D

Duane Arnold

Liam said:
I'm getting a new notebook with Windows Media edition, and I'm planning
on using it in wireless hotspots, like on campus and Barnes and Noble,
and was wondering what people would recommend to help protect you from
such secure-less connections?

I found Steganos Anonym VPN https://steganos.com/en/products/siavpn/
but $100 for a year of service seems pretty steep. Even though it
sounds like the best protection!
Click to expand...

Protect you from what? VPN only protects from the wireless data to/from your
machine is not eavesdropped on.
I hate Norton, so please don't recommend Norton products.
What about any of the regular software firewalls like ZoneAlarm
Click to expand...

None of them are FW(s). FW(s) separate two networks. What you're talking
about a personal FW is only machine level packet filters and they don't
separate anything.
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/appli...k.skuList&dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en&lid=nav_ss
or AVG http://grisoft.com/doc/197/lng/us/tpl/tpl01 , do they even
protect against possible open WAN/hotspot intrusion attempts?
Click to expand...

You go to the O/S and shutdown services like Client for MS Networks and File
and Print Sharing, unbind them off of the wireless NIC, which closes ports.
You have no need to be in networking situation.

Here are some other things you can do to protect the O/S harden it to
attack..

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm

You can run any of the personal packet filters, even XP's FW, as it really
doesn't make that much of a difference which one you use, as long as you go
to the O/S and harden it to attack.

Duane :)
 
L

Liam

Duane said:
Liam said:
I'm getting a new notebook with Windows Media edition, and I'm planning
on using it in wireless hotspots, like on campus and Barnes and Noble,
and was wondering what people would recommend to help protect you from
such secure-less connections?
Click to expand...
[..snip..]
Here are some other things you can do to protect the O/S harden it to
attack..

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
Click to expand...

Question: That has a LOT of GREAT info! But I wonder, is all that
possible with Windows XP Media Center version? Or just XP Pro?
I'm not finding anything that would indicate.
I think, from what I've seen, MCE is the same as XP Pro except some
additional software, and the requirement to set up the domain settings
from the beginning or else you can't later.

Any opinions on this?
-Liam
 
D

Duane Arnold

Liam said:
Duane said:
Liam said:
I'm getting a new notebook with Windows Media edition, and I'm planning
on using it in wireless hotspots, like on campus and Barnes and Noble,
and was wondering what people would recommend to help protect you from
such secure-less connections?
Click to expand...
[..snip..]
Here are some other things you can do to protect the O/S harden it to
attack..

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/winxpsecuritychecklist.htm
Click to expand...

Question: That has a LOT of GREAT info! But I wonder, is all that
possible with Windows XP Media Center version? Or just XP Pro?
I'm not finding anything that would indicate.
I think, from what I've seen, MCE is the same as XP Pro except some
additional software, and the requirement to set up the domain settings
from the beginning or else you can't later.
Click to expand...

A small amount doesn't apply to the Home edition, like disabling Simple
File Sharing. I don't know what's the difference between MCE and Pro. But I
would suspect MCE is more like the Home edition, as it might not have IIS
as part of the installation package, like Home.

Duane :)
 
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