Be Safe When Connecting to Public Hotspots

Wireless hotspots continue to proliferate, which is certainly convenient when you are away from the office and want to send an e-mail from a coffee shop or get work done during a layover at an airport or train station.

But with that convenience comes security risks. To minimise your vulnerability, make sure you are connecting to a legitimate hotspot and take the following precautions:

1.	Turn on your laptop firewall (included in Windows XP and Windows Vista) and use antivirus protection.
2.	Increase security settings on applications such as Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook.
3.	Use your password-protected corporate network or a virtual private network (VPN) for wireless surfing whenever possible.
4.	Avoid sending sensitive data – credit card numbers or financial data – when using a public hotspot.

From a security standpoint, it is wise to keep your software current. For example, Windows Vista has improved Wi-Fi support over Windows XP, including the latest wireless security protocols. Windows Vista helps you avoid connecting to fraudulent wireless networks which may seem like legitimate hotspots, but are not.

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Windows Vista Business

Windows Small Business Server R2

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Did You Know …

In Windows Vista, wireless networking is more secure by default and includes support for the latest and most secure wireless networking protocol, WPA2.