[KLUG Members] Re: [Novices] quick question about vpn firewall, recommendations

[Mike Williams]

>
>
>rom: Greg Mason <gmason at fast-mail.org>
>  
>
>>>
>>> i.e.  why do you need a VPN to browse the web or IM?
>>    
>>
>
>... because I'm paranoid?
>
>I realize that web traffic, email and web are transmitted in the  
>clear over the web, it's just that I'd like an added bit of security  
>when on an untrusted, wide-open wifi network.
>
You should assume that anything email /IM is sniffable anyway, 
regardless of what the connection is.  If you're doing anything the 
least bit sensitive by email, PGP encrypt it with your email program.  
If you want to secure your web or IM traffic, there's really nothing you 
can do other than run it through one of those off-shore anonymizer 
services. 

If you want reasonably secure access to a hard drive back home, OpenVPN 
is a good choice.  Or you could set up an SSL tunnel (which is basically 
what OpenVPN is doing).