Network Security While Traveling?

truesaer writes "I'll be spending all of next year backpacking through South America. In the past I've used Internet cafes while away, but this time I plan to bring a netbook and rely primarily on Wi-Fi hotspots. I'll be facing the same issues and risks that business travelers in hotels and airports face, as well as those encountered by millions of other backpackers, gap-year travelers, and students. Since my trip is so long I'll have no choice but to access my banking, credit card, and investment accounts on public networks. I will not have a system at home to connect through. Other than an effective firewall, a patched system, and the use of SSL, what else should I do to protect my information? Keep in mind that many places have very poor bandwidth and latency."

Re:are you sure you're asking the right question?

[ub3r n3u7r4l1st]

"why on earth you feel a need to access your investment account from the depths of south america, i'm not sure."

Wait until you figure out you lost half of your portfolio in 24 hours then you know why.

Re:are you sure you're asking the right question?

[iron-kurton]

Wait until you figure out you lost half of your portfolio in 24 hours then you know why.

Well, if he doesn't access his investment account while he's there, he won't know. Problem solved.

Sell your portfolio...

[HockeyPuck]

If you have a portfolio in which your risk/exposure is such that you could lose half during your trip, you shouldn't be taking a trip away from your portfolio.

Two choices.

1) Sell your entire portfolio. Cash doesn't go up or down.
2) Invest the entire portfolio in some equity that doesn't move (like CDs).

Just leave your laptop at home. Enjoy your trip to the jungle and avoid having to bring your laptop around with you, through the rain, and having it potentially stolen while you sit at some cafe drinking your rainforest destroying frappacino'.

Evil is behind every corner

[MasterPatricko]

If someone is truly smart enough to crack your system and steal your bank account info - when you are a fairly intelligent tech-savvy guy who uses SSL and won't just click the first open wifi network that pops up like 90% of the population would - what the heck are they doing in the jungles of South America where maybe 5 students with negative bank balances pass through every year? "The same issues and risks that business travelers in hotels and airports face, as well as those encountered by millions of other backpackers, gap-year travelers, and students". Do you honestly think 99% of them have a clue? And yet 99% of them make it home perfectly fine. As someone with an above-average IT security knowledge, you will be fine. Seriously, while I don't advocate writing your bank details in 10-foot high letters of fire on Macchu Picchu, the chances of anything happening are infinitesmal. By the way, South America is awesome to backpack through. And not being tethered to the Interwebs is a good thing.

Re:OpenVPN

[93 Escort Wagon]

Congratulation for not reading half of the summary.

To be fair, it was the bottom half.

Re:Any VPN provider will do

[lindseyp]

I heard it was full of holes! ;)