Half Way Motel

What is the risk for using the unsecured wirless connections at motels?

What am I risking when I use the free wireless connection offered at motels? Can the motel read my e-mails? Non of the motel connections are "secured"....are they safe???? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Anybody with the right equipment could see anything that you send or receive over a unsecured wireless network. I highly doubt that the motel is actively monitoring what you are doing. If you are going to use their internet connection, don't do anything that requires personal data- address, credit card number, etc.. Act as if their is someone over your shoulder reading everything you do. If you don't want somebody else knowing it, don't send it over the hotel's wireless.
2. Most higher end motels require a password which you must get when you check in. If they do not have any sort of security, many things can happen including reading your emails. The motel wouldn't do it but someone on the network may. The chances of this happening are extremely low. If you are connected via a VPN and on the unsecured network, I dont believe you have anything to worry about.
3. No one can read your mails if you are using some free wireless connection.yeah motel connection are not safe if they are not password protected.
4. With no security someone can exploit your Notebook and have access to everything on it. It wouldn’t be too hard to break in that’s why most corporations have IT rules governing the practice of jumping on an unsecure network, and wireless ethics, which disallow their employees from jumping on a network without permission If you have corp. data on your computer, or home finances, or whatever, you dont want people around you knowing. We put so much information on our computers, personal and business related materials that an exploit, would render all that information public. Stick to the windows firewall, keep it on, keep to secure wireless if at all possible. If not, know the risks... the lower the security you have, the easier it is for someone to beak in... if a REAL hacker wanted in your computer, there really isn’t a way around it... they can break into systems within minutes. They even have a hacker challenge at their yearly conference... nobody is safe... but if you have 0 Security, then any tom dick or harry that is playing around can do it...