How Private/Safe are Internet Cafes?

cormie

Hi,
I had to use an internet cafe today to print something off which was private. I also had to log into another site, also private, to get the thing to print. This particular cyber cafe was Chartbusters. They said after the session, all history is wiped, but I'm just wondering how secure this really is?

Any feedback appreciated

Bob_Harris

cormie wrote: »

Hi,
I had to use an internet cafe today to print something off which was private. I also had to log into another site, also private, to get the thing to print. This particular cyber cafe was Chartbusters. They said after the session, all history is wiped, but I'm just wondering how secure this really is?

Any feedback appreciated

Who knows.

An employee could be scraping all users personal details, keyloggers could be installed on the computers, outdated or not anti-virus may be installed on the systems, firewalls may not be configured correctly.

Overheal

As a rule you should give them due measures of paranoia. I dont use them a whole lot so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

A good thing to use is the U3 flash drive software which you can load onto just about any USB flash drive (and comes preloaded on many). When you load up Firefox Portable you can have your passwords saved into that and in that way youre dodging the keyloggers. Theres a lot of U3 password management utilities out there as well. -

CreepingDeath

cormie wrote: »

Hi,
I had to use an internet cafe today to print something off which was private. I also had to log into another site, also private, to get the thing to print. This particular cyber cafe was Chartbusters. They said after the session, all history is wiped, but I'm just wondering how secure this really is?

Any feedback appreciated

If you used HTTPS and didn't get any warnings from your browser you should be okay.

The worse place to use the internet would be open wifi spots.
Someone could be intercepting all traffic between you and the wifi router, logging everything you send and receive.
But if you use https web sites, then they can't invisibly intercept your web traffic without your browser giving a https certificate warning.

cormie

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure it's ok. Was just one page I had to print with pretty standard info, but private none the less. Was just curious when I was there

blubloblu

If they wanted to, they could intercept anything you do. Just comes down to how much you trust them.

cormie

The employees themselves seemed fine for sure, just don't want the next guy seeing my stuff in the drop down bar etc

PogMoThoin

Look into Portable Apps, perfect for this situation
http://portableapps.com/

ricman

USE incognito mode/ private browsing and go to options delete all history, passwords/ cookies etc.IF you using a net cafe to apply for a credit card or something like that.Close down the browser completely.

MunsterCycling

If worried about keyloggers use an onscreen keyboard to enter sensitive info.

HonalD

ricman wrote: »

USE incognito mode/ private browsing and go to options delete all history, passwords/ cookies etc.IF you using a net cafe to apply for a credit card or something like that.Close down the browser completely.

Agreed, don't assume anything is deleted unless you know it is

biko

I would not use cafees for anything sensitive or use my credit card.

Cuddlesworth

MunsterCycling wrote: »

If worried about keyloggers use an onscreen keyboard to enter sensitive info.

I know of a keylogger that doesn't get picked up by antivirus and takes a screen shot of every action. So even that won't work.

MunsterCycling

Sweet, what's its name?

macnerdy

having worked in a number of net cafe's here is my response.This is just my personal opinion.
Most cafe owners are paranoid about porn.At the end of the day it is the cafe owner who is responsible for the content that is viewed by clients.I have worked in 4 cafe's in differnet local in the southeast and all had monitoring software.
At all times it was a passive affair.if you clicked on bigtitporno dot com it would be flagged on the server and we would keep seending waring messages to the client to the extent that they coped on and exited the site.
what i am saying is that the software was in place to monitor you but unless you did something stupid you were let get on with your browsing.
Having said that we used cafesuite a lot....so tech speaking we could monitor just about anything from the sites you visited to your passwords.
The point I am trying to make is that if you access the net through a public interface...cafe,hotel,airport.....you are guarenteed that you will be logged.And why not?At the end of the day you are using someone else's web access to do your business and they are ultimatly held responsible.
I have never worked in a place with sole keyloggers.We had software that did it all from web history to webcam face recognition.
Public/net cafe access is exactly what it says on the tin.Its public.....but its owned by an individual that is responsible to the law.
its a case of "bought as is".....you pay for public access you get screeneed as the public.
I dont want to get hammered by freedom of info advocats.I am just saying that if you walk into a public net cafe...you will be treated by as a member of the public.....if you walk into a pub and stat snorting coke on the counter you are guarenteed the cops will show up.Its the same story.

tc2010

cormie wrote: »

Hi,
I had to use an internet cafe today to print something off which was private. I also had to log into another site, also private, to get the thing to print. This particular cyber cafe was Chartbusters. They said after the session, all history is wiped, but I'm just wondering how secure this really is?

Any feedback appreciated

fact is someones probably logging everything on your pc at home aswell. if everyone knew the truth about PC security we would all be on linux or mac

one new virus and all your saved passwords are sent on to someone else before your antivirus updates and catches it

dont think just cause youve antivirus on your PC your protected

pieface_ie

But if you use https web sites, then they can't invisibly intercept your web traffic without your browser giving a https certificate warning.

Not true.

Bob_Harris

tc2010 wrote: »

fact is someones probably logging everything on your pc at home aswell. if everyone knew the truth about PC security we would all be on linux or mac

Nonsense.

tc2010

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Nonsense.

Keep telling yourself that. You obviously havent a clue

Cuddlesworth

tc2010 wrote: »

Keep telling yourself that. You obviously havent a clue

Conspiracy theory's is here.

Merch

tc2010 wrote: »

fact is someones probably logging everything on your pc at home aswell. if everyone knew the truth about PC security we would all be on linux or mac

one new virus and all your saved passwords are sent on to someone else before your antivirus updates and catches it

dont think just cause youve antivirus on your PC your protected

I memorise all my passwords, never save them and you mean they can get at that too aggggrh

tc2010

Merch wrote: »

I memorise all my passwords, never save them and you mean they can get at that too aggggrh

by using an encrypted keylogger. Saving the passwords doesnt make a blind bit of difference

remember this. Anyone coding a keylogger there main goal is to make it undetectable for as long as possible. When released its undetectable until your AV software gets updated and discovers it. As soon as its installs it sends every keystroke and URL to someone else.

Im not saying someone targets you as an individual. Your just unlucky to be the one that visited a malware infected site or downloaded a malware infected file

most will search for something specific like paypal details or email passwords.
theyre filtered out and sent to someone who knows how to make money from them

Bob_Harris

tc2010 wrote: »

Keep telling yourself that. You obviously havent a clue

Right. You do realise if we all moved to Linux and Macs, these would be then the main focus for virus writers and therefore make moving pointless?

At least Windows has had years of being the number one target, allowing it to close every known vulnerability so far.

Macs and Linux operating systems are just as weak, it's just that nobody cares enough to put effort into writing malicious code.

But you know, I just mustn't have a clue. I suppose I'll just throw out my IT based education and abandon my IT based career, because I just haven't a clue.

tc2010

Bob_Harris wrote: »

Right. You do realise if we all moved to Linux and Macs, these would be then the main focus for virus writers and therefore make moving pointless?

At least Windows has had years of being the number one target, allowing it to close every known vulnerability so far.

Macs and Linux operating systems are just as weak, it's just that nobody cares enough to put effort into writing malicious code.

But you know, I just mustn't have a clue. I suppose I'll just throw out my IT based education and abandon my IT based career, because I just haven't a clue.

Well aware of that, but the fact is there far safer for now. So with an IT based education your saying its nonsense that there could be a keylogger on the OPs PC right now. Explain exactly why its nonsense using your IT based education why you think the OPs PC is virus immune

Hornd

Macs and Linux operating systems are just as weak

Are you really going to stand by that statement? I hope you release that is ludicrous.

Explain exactly why its nonsense using your IT based education why you think the OPs PC is virus immune

I'm pretty sure he never said it was virus immune. Just that it is no safer on OSX or linux, which I would not agree with.

tc2010

Hornd wrote: »

Are you really going to stand by that statement? I hope you release that is ludicrous.



I'm pretty sure he never said it was virus immune. Just that it is no safer on OSX or linux, which I would not agree with.

back a few posts he says its "nonsense" that there could be a keylogger on the OPs PC now. Im still waiting on an IT educated reason why thats not possible.

Hornd

I assume he meant that it was nonsense to "if everyone knew the truth about PC security we would all be on linux or mac" rather than "fact is someones probably logging everything on your pc at home aswell".

Bob_Harris

tc2010 wrote: »

Well aware of that, but the fact is there far safer for now. So with an IT based education your saying its nonsense that there could be a keylogger on the OPs PC right now. Explain exactly why its nonsense using your IT based education why you think the OPs PC is virus immune

I don't know what thread you are reading, but this thread is about computers in net cafes. Not the posters own PC.

You said "fact is someone's probably logging everything on your pc at home" by which you meant Windows based PCs.
You didn't say could, you said probably implying the majority of Windows based PCs have keyloggers installed and people are harvesting the data, which of course is nonsense.

Hornd wrote: »

Are you really going to stand by that statement? I hope you release that is ludicrous.

If they were targeted to the same extent as Windows is, their weaknesses and vulnerabilities would show.