Hotel Tracking in Private Browsing?

Question

I'm staying at a hotel and I am doing online transactions and I don't want anyone to know any of my information. I am using the hotel's WiFi and I was wondering if they could retrace or go through my information through their computer even with private browsing enable?

Answer 1

Did you have to accept their Terms and Conditions, and did that include a Certificate (the ones your browser catalogs)?

Note especially that "Private browsing" has no relationship to security of outbound packets. It is related to the computer itself, and only prevents the storing of your browsers visit history, passwords, site cookies, and a few other items. It is not related to 'sent to the Internet ' stuff.

Several important things do need attention

Using Public 'Hotspots' or hotel 'free Internet' general concepts:



Because 'open' networks (those not requiring a password) have no encryption between your unit and the router, everything you send or receive is in plain text.

So a hacker, with a commonly available application, can intercept and log all of your traffic 'packets'; run "brute force" programs to crack passwords and examine all of your traffic at their leisure ("off line").

So the best advice is do not visit sites that are private, or require 'log-in', especially credit cards, banks, on so on.

In theory, websites that use SSL (indicated by the 'https' prefix in the URL) would be safe, but even that has become less than dependable.



A location (with encryption) that uses "gateway" technology can log all traffic, by presenting a "Certificate".

A padlock indicating SSL may in fact be coming from the router (gateway), which may uncloak and record all traffic before re-encrypting and sending it out to the Internet destination.

Always right click the browsers "lock" or site favicon, then examine the pedigree of a certificate's source.

Any goofy or strange authority could mean some monkey business going on.



Also, when you use a "hotspot" you are by definition in that LAN; and some Windows OS settings open certain ports which can be used to access your computer, by the bad guys.



XP-SP3

Turn off (aka 'unbind') printer & files sharing, via:

Start> Control Panel> Network Connections> right click 'Wireless Network Connections> Properties> General tab: here, uncheck "File & Printer sharing..."> OK out.



Vista & Win 7

Win7 and Vista have slightly different configurations for wifi.

There are 2 basic modes: A) Home & Office; or B) Public.

[To access these settings go to Control Panel (All control panel items)> Network and Sharing Center> Change advanced sharing settings]



For "Public" [On the road or unknown connections]

Turn off network discovery (stealth your system)

Turn off file & printer sharing (shields your files from prowlers)

Turn off Public folder sharing (hides your otherwise 'shared' folders)

Turn off Media streaming

Use "128 bit..." (reduces external machine access probability)

Turn on Password protected sharing (adds another layer of security)



After re-configuring any of the above, make sure to "Save changes".



For ALL computers; use a stout firewall.



SUMMATION: If you are not proficient at all this Certificate business, and you use Windows: don't use an unknown Network for high value work.

Answer 2

I think you can use some apps with private browsing function? Like LEO Privacy? I'm now using it.

Answer 3

At residing house my wifi modem demands me to have a wifi password, and maximum private modems are the comparable. maximum computers undergo in techniques that password for you so which you quickly log in each and every time you change your computer on. it particularly is exactly what the inn is doing, different than they have it so as that when a customer tests out, his password, (final call and room huge form) is removed from the record of valid passwords. there's no longer something suspicious approximately requiring you to log in. they like to grant loose wifi to visitors, no longer somebody strolling by using on the line. on the different hand, in comparison to residing house modems you likely had to kind on your password on an internet site that pops up and not on the extra shelter wifi icon popup. That possibly ability your wifi connection is unencrypted, and that i individually does not do any kind of financial transactions over that connection basically to be risk-free.