[2015-11-18] Rogue WiFi Hotspots Are A Real Threat To Bitcoin users

[jdebunt]

Using a public WiFi-hotspot is quite a risky business these days, as one never knows whether or not the connection is secure. F-Secure product manager Janne Pirttilahti strongly feels consumers should be more concerned about using public WiFi-hotspot connectivity, and even suggest the usage of 2FA and a VPN to encrypt traffic. Especially for Bitcoin users, public WiFi-hotspots pose a serious risk.

http://themerkle.com/news/rogue-wifi-hotspots-are-a-real-threat-to-bitcoin-users/

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[Kprawn]

If you use a VPN to counter a man-in-the-middle attack through a public Wifi hotspot, you would effectively be trading one evil for another. Most VPN's are exploited and used as

honey traps already, so it would be stupid to do either. Use Bitcoin on a private network and use Tor to access these services. No method is 100% bulletproof, but you stand a

better chance, if you use Tor. Linux is also less susceptible to attacks on the OS side. 

[qwk]

Using a public WiFi-hotspot is quite a risky business these days, as one never knows whether or not the connection is secure. F-Secure product manager Janne Pirttilahti strongly feels consumers should be more concerned about using public WiFi-hotspot connectivity, and even suggest the usage of 2FA and a VPN to encrypt traffic. Especially for Bitcoin users, public WiFi-hotspots pose a serious risk.

http://themerkle.com/news/rogue-wifi-hotspots-are-a-real-threat-to-bitcoin-users/

FUD.
There's simply no reason to assume a higher potential of abuse by rogue wifi networks for bitcoin users compared to "normal" users.
Using a rogue network makes you vulnerable to some kinds of easy-to-fend-off-attacks which will only ever be successfully carried out against careless users.
Bitcoin users probably tend not to fall into that category.

[randy8777]

i use public wifi when i am at a restaurant or mcdonald's for fun. just to look at the local news and sport news. i don't do anything that has to do personal information in public wifi hotspots.

[w00t]

just curious - if I use some mobile wallet which does not have full data (relies on 3rd party full cache - most mobile wallets do that) then somebody hijacks the traffic while I'm sending the money somewhere else, is it actually possible to manipulate the hijacked traffic to ie. send the money to my wallet instead of the intended wallet?

[gogxmagog]

I don't use my phone for anything financial or involving personal info I don't want compromised. Phones are going to be the most targeted devices soon, if they aren't already. People simply aren't careful

[renliwei8888]

If you use a VPN to counter a man-in-the-middle attack through a public Wifi hotspot, you would effectively be trading one evil for another. Most VPN's are exploited and used as

honey traps already, so it would be stupid to do either. Use Bitcoin on a private network and use Tor to access these services. No method is 100% bulletproof, but you stand a

better chance, if you use Tor. Linux is also less susceptible to attacks on the OS side. 

good

[qwk]

just curious - if I use some mobile wallet which does not have full data (relies on 3rd party full cache - most mobile wallets do that) then somebody hijacks the traffic while I'm sending the money somewhere else, is it actually possible to manipulate the hijacked traffic to ie. send the money to my wallet instead of the intended wallet?

Short answer: no.
Long answer, it's not practically possible within a timeframe of hours, days or even months.
There might be attack vectors as long as you don't leave a rogue wifi for half a year or so, though

[odolvlobo]

jdebunt, you are the worst journalist. All your articles are crap. I wish you would stop posting links to them in this forum. In this article, you wait until the end of the article before admitting that there are actually no specific risks to a Bitcoin user.

Even though it is not possible to steal a wallet data file without much more effort than just creating a rogue WiFi access point, ...

[1Referee]

I never use public wifi networks. Why should I expose myself to all the threats that are possibly comming my way as in some one stealing passwords, being able to know my personal information, etc, when I use a public wifi network... There is no need for it, so don't use them. Better safe than sorry.

[RealBitcoin]

Enforce HTTPS?

Or is that too complicated for average people?

[meono]

Using a public WiFi-hotspot is quite a risky business these days, as one never knows whether or not the connection is secure. F-Secure product manager Janne Pirttilahti strongly feels consumers should be more concerned about using public WiFi-hotspot connectivity, and even suggest the usage of 2FA and a VPN to encrypt traffic. Especially for Bitcoin users, public WiFi-hotspots pose a serious risk.

http://themerkle.com/news/rogue-wifi-hotspots-are-a-real-threat-to-bitcoin-users/

Time to educate yourself dumbass.


And stop writing shit and misleading others all together. Dont you have any ethics?