Warning: Internet Cafes

The attack vectors are just, mind boggling! From evil Admins, to clueless admins, to malicious users, to naive users who are fooled into downloading Anna Kournikova titled emails that contain viruses and other malware. The level of threat is real and extremely high.

Let alone people who install things so that they would record your passwords, and now your Messenger, Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook, MySpace, wordpress, blogger ...etc account is completely exposed to them and all thier buddies who might find it amusing to go over all your personal belongings and maybe make fun of some of your friends while they're at it.

It's even conceivable that they would start sending emails with your name to all your email list, pretending to be you and adding viruses or Trojans to the unsuspecting friends causing all of them to get infected too.

But the worst that could happen is that they might impersonate you and steal your identity. Possibly requesting credit cards in your name, putting you in an unrecoverable situation, and possibly ruining your life for good! Let alone the possibility that they might be implicating your name in some illegal activities that might lead you straight to jail, or worse to Guantanamo Bay!

So what do you do if you're in need of a computer while you're away? Or if your budget doesn't allow you to get one?

• If you can afford to travel with a Wi-Fi account, or have the ability to connect to your hotel's free Wi-Fi then do so. Always remember that many of these WIFI networks might not be secure, but in worse case, they're still better than using an Internet cafe
• If you must, go to a good brand name with a decent location. Preferably where there is good foot traffic and there are no shady looking owners.
• While you're at the place, look for authentic license to practice the business clearly displayed.
• If they ask for your ID and add it to their database, that's usually a good sign. But don't let your guard down just yet
• If you have a PC and you can connect to their network only without using their PCs, use that option
• If they assign you a username and password, that's usually a good sign
• Investigate if you're running as Administrator on the computer, if you are, then leave that PC, chances are everyone else has been running as an Administrator on this computer and there are no guarantees whatsoever!
• Memorize the tell tales of having Norton, McAfee and other Anti virus, Anti malware tools. If they're running, that's usually a good indicator on that machine
• DO NOT access your Bank account or other sensitive sites. Use Internet cafes for casual browsing and NOT as your office computer.
• ALWAYS reset your password the minute you get to a secure PC. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!

Again, these are only tips but they will not guarantee your safety while at the Internet Cafe. Only YOU can guarantee your safety, and let me tell you, it's almost impossible to do so at these cafes

What's my personal recommendation? DO NOT USE INTERNET CAFES, the risk is so great that you might regret it for the rest of your life. It's just an unnecessary risk that far outweighs the benefit!