How easy or difficult is it to intercept mobile broadband

C

COPE2

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How safe, or unsafe is it to do online banking through mobile broadband, and how easy is it for others to intercept mobile broadband data transfer?
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Very secure. Your biggest worry will be losing your dongle....and having your phone bill hit by someone elses usage.

Your computer actually gets a secure local IP address through this, not a public IP like if you plugged into a cable modem.

Just like your cell phone, you communication between your PC and your cellular provider is secured...at least 128 bit.

Think of it like using a 128 bit VPN connection between you and your ISP.
 
Lightworker said:
Anyone remember the Facebook incident with AT&T? Yeah, very secure :)
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That was a problem with the facebook app on the phone itself and how it was routed to the FB accounts, totally different from actually using your laptop via the cellular modems.
 
^Partially correct.

Anyways although there are inherent encryption technologies with the current 3G/4G wireless broadband techs, the security of your connection will always be subject to the competence of the ISP.

But hey, that's why we use SSL for banking right? :)
 
Your standard 802.11 wifi networks use an unlicensed, unregulated spectrum range most often in the 2.4 and 5ghz ranges. These are public bands available for any one to use - that's why there's so many security concerns over your typical wireless network. Anyone can get a device to send/receive.

Your cell phone companies use a completely different technology on their own licensed, multi-billion dollar frequencies. I have no idea where you'd find a device to listen in on these bands short of making one yourself. The equipment to do something like you're thinking is almost impossible from the get go since you'd have a hell of a time getting the right equipment in the first place.
 
Guys, if you have tips on protecting yourself great. Posting a "How To" on intercepting calls/data is a quick way to lose your account.
 
Your bank uses SSL encryption, HTTPS:// , or better be, if someone has cracked this, they don't care about your computer cause they would already be hitting online financial companies like no tomorrow.
 
prochobo said:
Your cell phone companies use a completely different technology on their own licensed, multi-billion dollar frequencies. I have no idea where you'd find a device to listen in on these bands short of making one yourself. The equipment to do something like you're thinking is almost impossible from the get go since you'd have a hell of a time getting the right equipment in the first place.
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It's not that hard to find, and certainly not restricted. The regulatory status is pretty irrelevant really, since only transmission is governed. If you're clever and have some money it wouldn't even be that hard to set up a rogue base station in some densely populated area, spoof a provider's network and snarf internet traffic. Don't count on the obscurity of the hardware to protect you, because there are millions of base stations, test sets and band-compatible receivers out there.

But anyway, security isn't a major concern. Your traffic to the bank is encrypted end-to-end, and even if the plausible-but-extremely-unlikely scenario above were to occur, your banking details would be safe. You don't trust your ISP in the first place, right? Not much difference here.
 
Lightworker said:
^Partially correct.

Anyways although there are inherent encryption technologies with the current 3G/4G wireless broadband techs, the security of your connection will always be subject to the competence of the ISP.
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True....so now we're down to cellular, vs using your regular ISP. So it boils down to...and what stage to some people put a few more layers of tin foil on their hat.

But we're assuming people are using the mobile broadband while out on the road, riding the train, sitting at the airport, etc.
 
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