protecting email on public hotspot

I read that email and passwords for email is sent as plain text over wireless
networks. If I am at a public hotspot how would I protect myself? I have a
firewall etc. but what about someone sniffing my email (don't care about much
else)?

Dil

Dil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:(E-Mail Removed):

> I read that email and passwords for email is sent as plain text over
> wireless networks. If I am at a public hotspot how would I protect
> myself? I have a firewall etc. but what about someone sniffing my
> email (don't care about much else)?
>
> Dil
>

I guess you're free game out there. Some people do look for an ISP that
provides a VPN solution for the wireless consumer. A VPN connection to an
ISP would secure your wireless connection in a hotspot.

Duane

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 20:44:43 -0500, Dil <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I read that email and passwords for email is sent as plain text over wireless
>networks. If I am at a public hotspot how would I protect myself? I have a
>firewall etc. but what about someone sniffing my email (don't care about much
>else)?

1. VPN tunnel to your ISP mail server. Requires VPN client IPSec
sortware on your machine.
2. SSL encrypted web mail. Built into all browsers.
3. SSH tunnel to your ISP. Requires SSH client software.
4. Email "wrapper" or "envelope" service, usually with X.509
certificates for authentication. For example:
http://www.postx.com/secureemail/overview
5. Per-session or one-time password generator such as S/key
(RFC2289). These normally come with a "key fob" with an LCD screen
that delivers a new password every minute.

http://www.verisign.com/products-ser...ion/index.html
http://www.aladdin.com/etoken/otp.asp
Actually, my OTP (one time password) generator runs on my cell phone
(QCP-6035) PDA.
http://astro.uchicago.edu/home/web/valdes/pilot/pilOTP/

I think there are some more that I forgot, but the above are the ones
that I use or have played with.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Hi,

<quote>
3. SSH tunnel to your ISP. Requires SSH client software.
<quote>
Requires a listening ssh service on the ISP side, as such not only
impractical but impossible.

See if your ISP supports spop3 (port 993) and encrypted smtp-auth.
Otherwise, you can use an ssh/ssl tunnel providing you have an endpoint
to tunnel to,
i.e

client establishes a tunnel through wifi to a server under your control
which redirects to your isp's pop3 server.

regards

dc

regards

dc

Dil wrote:

> I read that email and passwords for email is sent as plain text over
> wireless networks. If I am at a public hotspot how would I protect
> myself? I have a firewall etc. but what about someone sniffing my
> email (don't care about much else)?
>
> Dil

Other than a VPN solution, does your mail host provide web based access?
If they provide an https:// connection, the communication is secure.

Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> 1. VPN tunnel to your ISP mail server. Requires VPN client IPSec

Requires an ISP who offers the VPN server. Boingo.com does. sonic.net
requires it for direct WiFi access, might allow it for general use.

> 2. SSL encrypted web mail. Built into all browsers.

Requires an ISP who offers webmail. Most probably do.

> 3. SSH tunnel to your ISP. Requires SSH client software.

Requires an ISP that allows SSH tunnelling to pop, or a shell login
account, which some have. sonic.net does, rahul.net does.

Using an ssh login to a unix shell offers the advantage of reading email and
news in a text-only format, insulating you from most Microsoft-borne
viruses, even when running from a Microsoft-based machine.


--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5