G+_Sean Michael McLaughlin Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Mobile Hotspot vs Public Wifi: Is if safer to connect my laptop to my phones mobile hotspot instead of using hotel wifi? Or are the risks the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 The definition of safer (mho) never applies to Wi-Fi for the reason it is radio. If you can tether(usb) to your phone that would remove the radio from the equation. Wi-Fi to your phone or the hotel still allows for man-in-the-middle attacks.(ref. Hak5.org for more info) Now, past the wifi, the simple question remains. Can you trust the service provider?(your cell provider OR hotel, their service provider) hak5.org - Technolust since 2005 | Trust Your Technolust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Marco van Laerhoven Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Black Merc that's an interesting statement, considering the phone uses radio for it's connections too :-). But I agree to what Sam Crawford said, I would consider the cellar connection safer because no one in the hotel can see your traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 With free, unsecured Wi-Fi, everything is transmitted through the air unencrypted. With WPA2, everything is transmitted encrypted to the router/AP/phone. Free Wi-Fi has another problem though, in that you don't know who else is connected to the same network. It's very easy to use an ARP attack to make anyone else on that network think that your device is the Internet gateway. That traffic can then be stored and passed on to the real gateway so the victim never knows what happened. Tethering can have other issues, such as fake cell towers. I'd consider those to be less of a threat though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Possible mitigations: Using your phone to connect to the hotel Wi-Fi then sharing it with other devices, does protect them somewhat. Your phone should act as an NAT router then it's very similar to using your Wi-Fi at home - except for that potential ARP-attack MITM. I'll occasionally use PDANet or Easytether on Android for USB tethering. Those apps will pass the traffic through VPN if your phone is connected to VPN. That would cover snoopy Wi-Fi users and fake cell towers. But then you have to trust your VPN provider and their ISP.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 What was that device Leo used for connecting to Wifi while on vacation overseas? Sounded like that is a viable solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Rud Dog if I recall correctly 'tiny firewall' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_George Fromtulsa Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 First comment: the device Leo used for International Travel is a Cellular WiFi Hotspot. skyroam.com - Skyroam Hotspot | WiFi Wherever You Travel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_George Fromtulsa Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Second Comment: The "Tiny Hardware Firewall" that Leo also recommends captures WiFi, acts as a router, and directs a user's connections through a VPN. The user's device is never directly connected to hotel or "open" WiFi. tinyhardwarefirewall.com - Home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_George Fromtulsa Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Third comment: there's no absolute safety. In general, connecting to your own cell phone carrier will be "safer" than connecting to open WiFi, but just like the Hak5 Pineapple, there are gadgets that will intercept cell data. Some are used "peacefully" to re-broadcast cell signals into difficult areas, others are used just to intercept and monitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Black Merc there are so many mistakes and incorrect statements in your answer I don't know where to begin. I think even the Steve Gibson would have trouble beginning trying to correct all of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 George Fromtulsa sorta kinda but not really unless someone has a pineapple router setup in the hotel near where you are and your cell phone happens to pick that up as if it were a cellular site and matches carrier name of your carrier.... Just a lot of guessing in bed information in this post also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Ben Reese there is no non-military cell phone that can connect to Wi-Fi and then rebroadcast Wi-Fi. Consumer phones can connect to cellular data and rebroadcast Wi-Fi as a hotspot or an access point but not what you're saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Ben Reese okay the PDA Net thing that you're talking about only works the way you're talking about it if your phone can be rooted. Using a service like TunnelBear which has been vetted by many Security Professionals yes you have to pay a monthly service of $5, without rooting and for many Android phones I think you can even use it with an iPhone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Ben Reese on your last statement that really depends on what kind of conferences you go to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Dan Lo Fat Sorry, I don't understand why you posted any of those comments. Just trolling, perhaps? But if what you're saying is correct, my Galaxy Note 8 is: a) a military cellphone because it can connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot and rebroadcast a new network. b) a rooted device and somehow not rooted at the same time. c) incapable of connecting to my own, private VPN server(s). Chances are, if the Note 8 can do these things than probably any Galaxy S7 or newer can too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Dan Lo Fat please begin... Mr. Gibson has a two hour podcast to explain his disagreements... And does so very well. I agree with Ben Reese , troll much? If you would have bothered to read my bio(and the tagline) you would deduced that i know, I KNOW NOTHING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Ben Reese as far as connecting to Wi-Fi and that being the only data connection in other words your cellular data is turned off, then your phone will not be able to create a hotspot, that's just a fact. in other words you can share a cellular data connection you cannot share a Wi-Fi connection using your phone you don't know what you're talking about if you think that your phone can do that, it cannot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Ben Reese it is not possible for any consumer phone to connect to Wi-Fi and share that connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Dan Lo Fat Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Black Merc if you know nothing then you have no grounds to refute what I'm saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Dan Lo Fat I refuse to accept your "facts" and present you with my own. Please stop trolling.https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FePCblA7h5ZQVPiVYhPLpwORg9D5JJHeYlsF9QwWFzUFLBmveekQrfNNIwm2l0Kr_31g-LYO2vfH7gkHwk5srj-KMGn6lOVYTMq9=s0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Dan Lo Fat sarcasm is lost on you... But more to the point, ... one who claims to know everything, just displayed ones ignorance. For, one to claim ultimate knowledge, claims to be god.... I claim not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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