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Question

Wifi protection

Mar 17, 2014 3:09AM PDT

Good morning guys,

I am using a Macbook os x 10.6.8 and Chrome for surfing. I recently learned that it could be possible for others on the same wifi to peek into my computer. For example, at Starbucks, McDonald's, etc.

Is this true? If it is, can you pls tell me what I can do, if anything, to keep this from happening?

Thanks again for your help,

Rita

Discussion is locked

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Answer
It's true.
Mar 17, 2014 3:13AM PDT

Frankly, using public wifi is always dangerous and I'll share why it is so. But first there is nothing you can do about it if you use public wifi. Why would I write that?

-> The Evil Twin Problem <-
http://news.cnet.com/Evil-twin-could-pose-Wi-Fi-threat/2100-7349_3-5545355.html

And if you think this has been solved since that date, I have bridge closures for sale.

Basically if you do anything over public wifi, keep it to reading news and such.

My mom solved it so I think anyone else could. She got a NetZero portable hot spot.
Bob

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:)
Mar 17, 2014 3:39AM PDT

Thanks Bob,

You said keep it to reading and such. I really don't know much about other people getting into my computer. I thought they would be able to get into anything on my computer except password protected areas. If I am on the internet surfing, can they only see what I am viewing or can they go anywhere they want in my computer? If I am on my email, can someone hijack my email account or just see what I am seeing?

thanks,

Rita

PS,

I don't know what happened, but I had a number of tracked discussions I was saving and now they are all gone! They were just there moments ago when I posted the first comment on this thread, now, nada.

What's up w/that?

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Getting into your computer is different than watching
Mar 17, 2014 3:49AM PDT

While they can see all the packets of information your computer sends out, it takes a lot more work to get into your Apple Mac OS X or iPad iOS devices. Most of the time it has to be something you help them out with.

I lead with the Evil Twin issue because if I was an evil person, that's where I would start.

Email? I would not do that on public WiFi as many email systems are in the clear. If you used a web browser and say Gmail, you made it much harder as it's over HTTPS (see google what that means.)

As to your tracked discussions, that's a question for the forum that it went missing on.
Bob

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:)
Mar 17, 2014 4:18AM PDT

Thanks again, Bob.

It was this very forum that it happened on. This is the only forum I use on cnet. Here an hour ago, gone now.

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I'm alerting this one.
Mar 17, 2014 4:28AM PDT

There were some forum changes so let's alert it just in case.
Bob

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(NT) Thanks Bob
Apr 7, 2014 10:54AM PDT
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This AM Lee sent out a notice they fixed something.
Apr 7, 2014 10:57AM PDT

How's that for clarity? Well it was a note that the 404s were cured.

Taking bets now. House rules get 10% of the cookies.
Bob

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Hmmm
Mar 17, 2014 4:40AM PDT

That is strange, I just looked up your account and it looks like you are tracking 4 different discussion threads.

While they do show up in your accounts subscription, I see that they are appearing in your Forum tracked discussions.

Let me dig a bit deeper and let our engineers know of the issue.

Sorry about that.

-Lee
CNET Community

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:(
Apr 7, 2014 10:40AM PDT

Hey Lee,

Have you had any luck in tracking down my stuff?

thanks,

Rlta

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:(
Apr 7, 2014 10:56AM PDT

I have added 2 threads to track and they are not showing up under tracked discussions, either. That includes this very thread!

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Just for you I turned tracking on for this thread.
Apr 7, 2014 11:25AM PDT

Let's see what happens. Remember that notifications can be delayed or eaten by the internet service provider.
Bob

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That worked for me. Details about
Apr 8, 2014 12:11AM PDT

Received: by 10.112.128.195 with SMTP id nq3csp176930lbb;
Mon, 7 Apr 2014 21:01:44 -0700 (PDT)
Mon, 07 Apr 2014 21:01:42 -0700 (PDT)
Mon, 07 Apr 2014 21:01:42 -0700 (PDT)
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 21:01:05 -0700 (PDT)

Those date/times are from the SMTP header which show me the email is far from instant but it did work. The forum seems to be sending email alerts and that's about all I can check here. Usually folk find it's not fast enough for them or it's going into spam folders.
Bob

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:(
Apr 8, 2014 5:00AM PDT

I do not have any notices in my spam folder and I am still not tracking anything in my cnet folderSad

Lee is trying to find out what the problem is. I have not received any email telling me that I have had a response to this thread, either.

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:)
Apr 8, 2014 4:56AM PDT

Thanks Bob.

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Just got an alert on this.
Apr 8, 2014 6:12AM PDT

" Here are the latest posts in Wifi protection:

Sad

http://ct.cnet-ssa.cnet.com/clicks?t=1394331971-8908f5f94482c69f0cb46e70216e90c7-bf&brand=CNET-SSA&s=5

Thanks

http://ct.cnet-ssa.cnet.com/clicks?t=1394331975-8908f5f94482c69f0cb46e70216e90c7-bf&brand=CNET-SSA&s=5

Happy

http://ct.cnet-ssa.cnet.com/clicks?t=1394331977-8908f5f94482c69f0cb46e70216e90c7-bf&brand=CNET-SSA&s=5

******************************* "

Now I see posts over a 5 minute period in my alert so it's clear to see that CNET's forum software bundles up the posts and isn't instant.
Bob

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There is defintely something wrong with your account...
Apr 8, 2014 2:34AM PDT

I looked up your account again and I don't see anything being tracked.

I'll ping our engineers on this.

One other question are you successfully tracking discussions? For example in this discussion thread, do you see a red color "Tracked" button? Or do you see a gray colored button that reads "Track this thread"? If you see a red color button with "Tracked" that means that you are currently tracking the discussion, however if you are not tracking the discussion, it is gray button that reads "Track this thread."

Let me know.

Thanks,
-Lee

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Thanks
Apr 8, 2014 4:53AM PDT

Hey Lee,

I hit the 'track this thread' when I first started it and have hit the same gray button several times since, including yesterday and just now. It does not change to say 'tracked'. I have also clicked on the 'Track this thread and email me when there are updates' each time I've left a reply. It just doesn't change anything. It seems there is some kind of block on my acct or something.

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:(
Apr 8, 2014 5:04AM PDT

I forgot to answer your question. There is no red button that says 'tracked'.

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Interesting
Apr 8, 2014 5:14AM PDT

Hey Lee,

I just closed a thread that was answered and hit track, and it turned RED!! Saying it was Tracked. However, when I went to check it in my folder it still says I have no tracked discussions. I wonder if for some reason it won't track until I close the thread out?

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Very interesting
Apr 8, 2014 5:23AM PDT

Hello again, Lee,

I hit the 'track this thread and email when there are updates' and I also hit Track this thread in the gray box. It changed, finally, to read Tracked in red but it still is not showing up under my tracked discussions folder.

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:(
Apr 8, 2014 5:24AM PDT

Once I posted the above reply, the box changed back to gray and 'Track this Thread'. There is something way going on w/this accountSad

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OK thanks for confirming, I'll also report this...
Apr 9, 2014 2:18AM PDT

to the engineers.

Sorry for the troubles and inconvenience Rita.

-Lee

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:)
Apr 9, 2014 7:27AM PDT

Thanks Lee,

Do you have any idea how long this will take?

Rita

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Honestly Rita, I don't know.
Apr 9, 2014 10:14AM PDT

The engineers are looking at it and trying to figure it out. The thing that makes it tricky is that it looks like your account is the only one that is having this problem, which makes it difficult to troubleshoot.

As soon as I hear anything, I will let you know.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

-Lee

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Answer
hmm
Apr 12, 2014 10:47PM PDT

Hi Lee,

Is it possible to just open a different account and transfer my saved threads to it? That might save a lot of energy and allow me to reference the saved info.

Thanks for your help, Lee,

Rita

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If that saves you time...
Apr 14, 2014 3:29AM PDT

it would be faster than our engineers trying to figure out this weird case.

Unfortunately I can't migrate your tracked discussion to your new account.You will just have to track the discussions again. The 4 that I have from your account that you are tracking are as follows:

http://forums.cnet.com/7723-6126_102-605638/slow-mac/
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-6126_102-601951/permissions/
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-6126_102-603906/determined-it-is-the-keyboard/
http://forums.cnet.com/7723-21565_102-603650/os-x-10-6-8/

The others that you may have tracked that didn't work most likely never made it to this list.

I do apologize for the problems you are having. We will still be investigating this as we don't want this to happen to others.

Thank you for your patience, again sorry about this strange bug.

-Lee

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Keeping this account
Apr 18, 2014 3:22AM PDT

Hey Lee,

Thank you for linking my saved posts. I realized I can get to the threads I need other than through my saved discussions. So, since I can find them there is no need to change accounts and I will just wait for the engineers to figger out what's up.

Thanks again for your help,

Rita

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Hi Rita...
May 9, 2014 9:20AM PDT

Sorry for the delay, can you check if this is working now for your account. Try tracking a discussion like this one and see if it works and shows up in your "My Track discussions" page.

Let me know.

Thanks,
-Lee

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Nothing
May 15, 2014 12:22AM PDT

Hey Lee,

Thanks for letting me know I am not forgotten. I still have 'no tracked discussions' in my account. When I clicked on 'track this discussion' it didn't change to 'tracking'. Still just shows 'track this discussion'.

Thanks again,

Rita

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Ok Thanks!
May 15, 2014 3:16AM PDT

I will have our engineers look into it again.

Sorry about that!

-Lee