do i have any more security protection if i use my opensuse 12.1 instead of my windows vista operating system when on a hotel wireless connection?
thanks
Define ‘protection’ but I would argue no.
On 25/07/12 03:56, diablo1 wrote:
>
> do i have any more security protection if i use my opensuse 12.1
> instead of my windows vista operating system when on a hotel wireless
> connection?
>
> thanks
>
>
Not that I’m aware of
On 07/25/2012 04:56 AM, diablo1 wrote:
>
> do i have any more security protection if i use my opensuse 12.1
> instead of my windows vista operating system when on a hotel wireless
> connection?
i can’t agree with the previous answers…
i believe your question is like asking:
Which is more secure on a public wi-fi (anywhere/anytime):
-
A default installed Vista with all patches available from Microsoft
correctly applied -
A default installed openSUSE 12.1 with all patches from openSUSE
correctly applied -
A fully patched, default installed Vista with a recently updated
version of the best anti-virus/anti-malware and internet security
suite that money can buy
and, i believe the correct answer to that question to be: Number 2.
however, there are variables depending on the steps taken on either
system to increase their security (note that all answers above omit
those other possible steps–so, the real level of security always
depends on the knowledge and persistence of the System Administrator)
obviously, others have different opinions, so ymmv!
–
dd
safety in the form of other not being able to see my programs and files, i disabled file sharing on my vista and have both firewalls on windows firewall and comodo antivirus and firewall software. also not seeing banking done online!
just thought using opensuse in a hotel wireless situation would be a little safer because in my case at the beginning of using opensuse i couldn’t see opensuse’s OS files when i tried to see my opensuse from vista, so i had to ask for help on this forum to set up my vista and opensuse so i could see opensuse from my vista OS.
if i was having trouble having my vista windows OS seeing my opensuse OS than i was wondering the opensuse OS would be better to use at a hotel wireless situation since “most” of the the other guests, I’m assuming, probably wouldn’t have the ability to figure that out. albeit, a hacker definitely can so not sure which would be better opersting system to use
On 07/25/2012 02:36 PM, diablo1 wrote:
>
> safety in the form of other not being able to see my programs and files
hmmmmm…
wi-fi is just a send/receive radio link between your computer and the
access point…anyone and everyone with the right receiver (another
computer) can “listen in” on what you are sending and receiving…simple!
so, if you type your bank address and password into your computer
(Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, whatever) that data flies through the air
and can be captured…
usually, all that goes back and forth is encrypted so that it is “safe”…
but, if you are using an access point where everyone and anyone has
access…and you are just part of the friendly “Neighborhood” i really
do not know…if Vista is born allowing “Neighbors” to come in then
shutting that door is a VERY good thing…maybe i am overly naive and
trusting but i just have to believe that a default installed openSUSE
doesn’t have anything like “file sharing” turned on when born.
but, in any case i would GUESS the owner of the access point might be
able to have access to your data in an unencrypted form, if the access
point appliance were cracked…
anyway if you are (for example) trying to hide your activity from a
government agency, i’d guess they could record the data as it went
though the air (or any link between you and the distant bank (or
whatever) and decrypt it eventually…even if it took a month or year…
common criminals don’t often have an enormous code breaking potential…
but, it CAN happen…
(so maybe the other responders were thinking along those lines when they
answered…)
note: i am NOT a security expert in any way…so, don’t put your bank
account (etc) at risk based on my paltry knowledge.
My answer is based not on OpenSUSE being insecure. I just could not think of any advantages save not being compatible with attacks designed against Windows. Most traffic you do is probably sniff-able no matter what OS you use.
On 07/25/2012 12:06 PM, nightwishfan wrote:
>
> My answer is based not on OpenSUSE being insecure. I just could not
> think of any advantages save not being compatible with attacks designed
> against Windows. Most traffic you do is probably sniff-able no matter
> what OS you use.
If you use Windows, a man-in-the-middle attack would be more likely to put
malware on your computer than with any Linux. Similarly, any hacking of the
sign-in page that some sites use could also expose your computer to malware.
For any unencrypted wireless link, the only way to keep others from reading your
data is to use a VPN tunnel.