Your online bank provides the security by using encryption. If the address starts with "https://" instead of "http:://" then you are using a secure and encrypted connection. If you have a lock shown on the bottom of your web browser then you are using a secure and encrypted connection. Doesn't matter if it is satellite internet, a campground wi-fi (which might be using satellite internet), your home DSL, your home cable, Clearwire (Wi-Max), or cellular internet. I haven't heard of a bank or other financial institution without encryption in years if not decades. Business travellers use internet cafes and motel networks all the time to do their banking.
This is a non problem and there is nothing special about using the internet from an RV instead of a house, business. or motel room. There is a problem with other computers on your local network being able to see your files, and the local network can include your campground or home neighbors depending on how the internet is supplied. That is why you use a firewall.

Bill
Sorry for not saying thanks to you sooner, but been under the weather and not on here for a bit.

As always we appreciate your  information.

That cleared  up our confusion.
Larry however does want the SAT

Enjoy  the Keys.
We go every winter to Key Colony Beach in March.
It is off of rte 1 in Marathon, and we stay in a condo oceanfront.
Not anymore,,,now that we bought the MH
We love the Keys and cannot wait to ge there this year.
Have fun......and thanks again.
Arlene

Always glad to help when I can. Sorry to hear about the health problems but I hope all is well and you can get back to the serious business of RVing!

RVDude is absolutely correct. An 'https' connection to a secure website is not enough if someone has managed to plant a 'nasty' on your machine that, in effect, can commit an 'inside job' before you ever get to the security checkpoint. It helps to be a little paranoid about it. How many times have we read about institutions being hacked and data stolen? You know that they take precautions, and yet it still happens. All the usual caveats apply about being very careful opening email attachments, etc. etc., even if they appear to be from someone you know.... remember that the OTHER guy's machine could have been compromised and their address book stolen so that it looks innocent to you... and on and on. Be very careful. These hackers are very clever - don't underestimate them. 

I should also add that I would never ever ever ever use a public PC (as in a library, internet cafe, or campground lobby) to do any banking or other critical business. You have no idea who has planted what on these public machines, what malicious software has been innocently and inadvertently downloaded, and no idea how well they are maintained from a firewall and security patch perspective. At least with your own laptop on a public network you know someone has to plant something on your machine over that network and also you have some confidence in what has been downloaded on it and your own maintenance levels.

The simple answer Froggi is that you are fine with the Aircard - keep a firewall and anti-virus current and active on your laptop. The Aircard does not enable a WiFi like public external connection back to your PC. Now, for the truly insane, dig into the details of any form of connection and you'll never ever take your laptop out of the box! But that is extreme obsessive compulsive paranoia.

Follow the same safe computing rules as always

1) never ever open (click on) unknown email attachments of any type as nasties can be encoded into in jpg, doc, xls, and most any format.

2) use a browser based email reader if at all possible (keep nasties off your PC)

3) never click on links in emails you do not thoroughly know and understand. Your bank/broker/store will NEVER ask you in an email to click on a link and provide personal info like account numbers, pins, change passwords, etc. If in doubt type in the businesses url (note I said type it don't click it) and check out validity that way. Send them an email request from the typed URL page for verification.

4) always review all links first. Mouse over any link and read it before clicking on it down in the lower left of your browser. You are particularly looking for junk after the real name for example, www.bankofamerica.notify.com is NOT a BofA domain, it is a sub-domain of some rogue domain called "notify" but at first glance it sure looks BofA official doesn't it? I'll also bet that the graphics will be identical too and you can bet they'll suggest verifying your PIN with them too. Don't even click on it.

5) if in doubt in any way, just don't click on it or download it. After all, better to miss out on the very latest cutie joke attachment than to have a nasty planted on your machine!

6) Don't randomly click on URLs. Yes, even opening a web page can be bad news. There are many BAD places to be on the internet not just because of the content but what those BAD web pages can download to your PC. Close rogue pop-up windows (you know the ones that say click here you won or click to check your PC, or click here a virus was detected) NOT by clicking on that official looking window but use the windows toolbar at the bottom of you screen and right click to close.

Get in the habit of these and you'll be fine.


-- Edited by RVDude at 12:37, 2007-11-09

The most important thing you can do to keep your computer safe is to keep it up to date.  Do your Windows updates, keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date and make sure you have a firewall turned on.  Updates are created to patch security holes and prevent new threats. 

Updating is the most important task for keeping your computer safe regardless of the method used to connect - Wi-Fi, Satellite, Cellular, Cable, DSL or Dial Up.

The only additional issue with Wi-Fi is that you are on a network, and you don't want to share files with anyone else on the network.  It's easy to turn off File sharing on your computer:
Control Panel
Network Connections
Right-Click on the Wireless connection and choose Properties
UNcheck the property for File and Printer Sharing
OK

Those instructions are for XP - Vista handles this automatically when you specify that the WiFi connection is a Public hotspot.

IF you keep your computer Up To Date, then using WiFi (or any other method) to do your banking is not only OK - I think it is very important.  Checking your bank balance regularly is the best way to be alerted if any fraud has taken place.

I know several people who have been the victims of identity theft fraud and none of it has happened because of their Internet use.  A credit card gets stolen, personal info gets taken from the garbage, a phone conversation was overheard, credit card numbers were obtained from a retailer's computer etc. etc. All of them were reimbursed their stolen funds.  Why?  Because they knew about it in time to take action.  They knew about it because they checked it online!

Let's not forget that one of the BEST security checks you can do is to get your credit report from one of the big three Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Each is required to provide one FREE report to you each year. Play all three of them and you can get a report every 4 months. But you have to go get it! Go to their sites and just apply, make sure to skip all the fee-based add ons and just get your basic report. That's all you need. What you are looking for is unusual credit requests which all show up on these reports. I get my credit check-up every 4 months, you should too! There are also numerous freebie "aggregator" sites that will manage your report requests to each of these providers.

I recommend AVG for your anti-virus and Ad-Aware SE for your anti-spyware. Both are free and very effective at the jobs that they do.
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/ (AVG)
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ (Ad-Aware)

-- Edited by Bill Adams at 10:08, 2007-12-27

I just want to reiterate how important it is to check your banking account online frequently.  I just had someone try to transfer money from my banking account to my paypal account.  Because paypal sent me an email and because I check my banking account frequently and saw the transaction, I caught it and was able to put a stop payment on the transfer and paypal is investigating the incident.

EDITED answer-
AVG anti-spyware and AVG Anti-virus are two separate AVG products and both can be downloaded and run for free.

ME BAD - Per Bill's post below, I realized I had looked only at the AVG Anti-Virus freebie page which indicated that it (the anti-virus) did not include the spyware - Bill correctly reports that both products from AVG are free and are two separate products. I've always run AVG Anti-virus and Ad-Aware anti-spy and never realized AVG also offered the freebie spyware products. Ad-Aware has worked so well for me I never thought to look for a replacement.
Sorry folks...

The freebie Ad-Aware anti-spy is indeed a "passive" product, removing the "spy-droppings" after the fact when you run Ad-Aware. You can, and I never have, purchase Ad-Aware which enables it to be "active" and stop "spy-droppings" before they are written to your computer. This "active" configuration for the purchased Ad-Aware functions just like the freebie AVG Anti-spy. In this "active" mode both products will impact computer speed as there is a lot of processing and lookups as each item on each web page is reviewed.


-- Edited by RVDude at 18:32, 2007-12-27

Thanks guys,

I manually update my anti spyware and use it so I am not having the computer bog down issue while it runs in the background. I thought maybe I should change programs after reading your original posts but it looks like they both will do the job so I will continue with the AVG. :)

Thanks again,
Jan

Hello eveyone,
Just browsing through the security comments.  I have a question.  Hope someone can help.  My daughter's boyfriend has taped into her computer.  Apparently he can see her keystrokes etc....   I unplugged her connection in order to get another IP address-changed her password for facebook etc.... I'm also going to put a password in order for her to run her computer-I'm not that knowledgeable about computers-Would this solve her problem?  What an invasion of privacy this is-he did this because he wanted to spy on her and be sure she wasn't talking to other guys on the net-of course some people from work etc.. have sent her messages-all innocent-he showed her who she had been communicating with etc..... I was livid- trying to fix the problem for her-cannot believe the lack of trust etc..... Needless to say she does not see him anymore (for now) ????
Any help would be appreciated.

Download Ad Aware from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ and Spybot Search & Destroy from http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
. Update to the newest and run both. Reboot the computer and run them again to make sure you have gotten everything.

Edit: Here is an article on a tool to really dig in where you need to work with people on internet forums to fix the problem - http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9857374-12.html .


-- Edited by bjoyce at 07:27, 2008-02-28