Comments on: 5 Threats to Watch out for when Using a Public Machine

By: Emmanuel Carabott

Emmanuel Carabott — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:29:29 +0000

Andrew is right, keeping separate passwords for separate services will ensure that if one password is compromised the other system will be safe. It’s good practice that everyone should follow.

Someone could be behind you spying over your shoulder only if you don’t acknowledge their presence. Some good old fashioned eye contact will ensure they move away.

By: Miss Sarah

Miss Sarah — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:52:25 +0000

Aside from using public machines, we should also be careful about using public or free wifi internet connections.

In Starbucks or libraries, an unsecured Internet connection could become a breeding ground for hackers. They can launch and install keylogging, sniffing, and / or phishing software into your laptops or mobile devices without even you knowing.

By: whatsupman27

whatsupman27 — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:52:36 +0000

Oh man the idea of having someone behind my back is not only threatening but extremely creepy as well. What the heck! But I know it happens.

At this time when technologies like mobile phones and PDAs can now access the Internet, I really don’t see the need to use public machines.

By: Joe Bursky

Joe Bursky — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:26:12 +0000

“My ideal recommendation would be to avoid using a public computer at all”
I couldn’t agree more! I would recommend exactly the same. It is true that there are cases when you need to use a public computer but with the wider adoption of wireless and the increased power of mobile devices, I hope that soon the number of people who have to use public computers will drop even more. With public networks (i.e. where you connect with your own device) there are still some risks but it is nothing compared to what you are exposing yourself to when using a public computer.

By: Andrew Harris

Andrew Harris — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:01:22 +0000

Some online systems use emails for user-logins. It’s very important that for such systems, you don’t use the same password as the one you type for accessing your email. Although most online systems hash or encrypt the passwords stored on the database, their is still a risk that someone might get hold of them. So also make sure that you never use the same email address and password on online applications.