Computer v. phone data

[king1]

One more question please. Given that my phone has never connected to anything important enough to need a password, does connecting it to the modem in this way compromise security on the computer that is also connected to the modem? ie does the phone connection open the door to anything other than the phone? Thanks.

no more than usual...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I have never had any issues...

[SueDonim]

One more question please. Given that my phone has never connected to anything important enough to need a password, does connecting it to the modem in this way compromise security on the computer that is also connected to the modem? ie does the phone connection open the door to anything other than the phone? Thanks.

no more than usual...

Just confirming I understand correctly - did you mean that the computer stays as safe as usual when the insecure phone is connected to the same modem as the computer?

Thanks

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Why is your phone insecure? There are a number of ways you can protect that, including antivirus, passwords, backing up and no doubt others that the experts can suggest...

[SueDonim]

It is passworded and the OS system is up to date etc, but because I have never used it for anything that needed to be secure, I haven't worried about whether it has any weak points and therefor do not trust it.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Well then, sounds like you have the best defence in the world - being deeply suspicious, lol - like me! It is hard to scam us doubting Thomases!

I think though it's like me yesterday with that unmentionable new device - we need to remember the hardware is just the tap. It is the internet we need to understand, and trust the best advice we can get. So long as you have those defences in place using the home modem is probably as safe as the mobile networks...

And certainly cheaper!

[king1]

no more than usual...

Just confirming I understand correctly - did you mean that the computer stays as safe as usual when the insecure phone is connected to the same modem as the computer?

Thanks

yes, the phone won't really introduce any extra insecurities to the PC that weren't already there...

To elaborate...  in reality, I would suggest the phone is probably somewhat more secure assuming it is reasonably up to date, because as a rule the user does not generally have administrator rights, whereas with PCs, the user generally does have administrator rights - and administrator rights is generally what net nasties need to do their business... 

Exceptions to this being 
1. net nasties can also utilize exploits of various types that will elevate user permissions to administrator rights which they wouldn't otherwise have...
2. and the end user is usually the greatest weakness

[R2x1]

Well then, sounds like you have the best defence in the world - being deeply suspicious, lol - like me! It is hard to scam us doubting Thomases!

I think though it's like me yesterday with that unmentionable new device - we need to remember the hardware is just the tap. It is the internet we need to understand, and trust the best advice we can get. So long as you have those defences in place  using the home modem is probably as safe as the mobile networks...

And certainly cheaper!

You should be safe now that you've been screened . . .

[Oh_hunnihunni]

[harm_less]

One of the most reliable defences against phishing activities for us is to absolutely not use our phones for any financial activity, along with being with a lower tier bank and local ISP.

e.g. Alert on one of our phones saying our BNZ/ANZ/ASB/Westpac/PayPal account has an issue. WRONG We don't have any account at those banks, and if we did have PayPal issues you wouldn't be contacting us via cellphone message.

The same applies to the phone call scams advising us of an issue with Spark/Vodaphone/Amazon/Sky connections. WRONG We don't use any of those providers.

As on online trader we take internet security seriously and use ESET, CloudFlare & Mailwasher to filter incoming feeds to our website & PCs and have safety nets in place for online credit card activities including a dedicated low limit credit card for online use, use PayPal if available rather than (often unknown) third party credit card platforms and we never allow providers to 'remember' credit card details for future visits (looking at you Trade Me). The sheer number of dodgy emails that we filter out of our (proxy) inbox is confirmation of the level of risk the average person is exposed to on a daily basis and I'm not sufficiently phone savvy to allow use of it much beyond calls, messaging, car pairing and occasional Google searches.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Today, having dropped off Spark's all I can eat plus Netflix plan, my tv started asking me to reply to my emails from Netflix...

Oh I am so fucked.

Oh! And Trustpower who used to be - have 'Unauthorised User'ed me.

Picture me laughing...

[SueDonim]

Just confirming I understand correctly - did you mean that the computer stays as safe as usual when the insecure phone is connected to the same modem as the computer?

Thanks

yes, the phone won't really introduce any extra insecurities to the PC that weren't already there...

To elaborate...  in reality, I would suggest the phone is probably somewhat more secure assuming it is reasonably up to date, because as a rule the user does not generally have administrator rights, whereas with PCs, the user generally does have administrator rights - and administrator rights is generally what net nasties need to do their business... 

Exceptions to this being 
1. net nasties can also utilize exploits of various types that will elevate user permissions to administrator rights which they wouldn't otherwise have...
2. and the end user is usually the greatest weakness

Thank you. I fully get point number 2.

---

One of the most reliable defences against phishing activities for us is to absolutely not use our phones for any financial activity, along with being with a lower tier bank and local ISP.

e.g. Alert on one of our phones saying our BNZ/ANZ/ASB/Westpac/PayPal account has an issue. WRONG We don't have any account at those banks, and if we did have PayPal issues you wouldn't be contacting us via cellphone message.

The same applies to the phone call scams advising us of an issue with Spark/Vodaphone/Amazon/Sky connections. WRONG We don't use any of those providers.

As on online trader we take internet security seriously and use ESET, CloudFlare & Mailwasher to filter incoming feeds to our website & PCs and have safety nets in place for online credit card activities including a dedicated low limit credit card for online use, use PayPal if available rather than (often unknown) third party credit card platforms and we never allow providers to 'remember' credit card details for future visits (looking at you Trade Me). The sheer number of dodgy emails that we filter out of our (proxy) inbox is confirmation of the level of risk the average person is exposed to on a daily basis and I'm not sufficiently phone savvy to allow use of it much beyond calls, messaging, car pairing and occasional Google searches.

It sounds like we're on a similar wavelength on this. I don't need the commercial aspect you describe, but certainly don't respond to anything coming through the phone, including calls from unknown callers. If it's legitimate they can leave a message. We actually get very few spam/phishing emails of any kind. Last week got the NZTA one for the first time - immediately recognisable because it didn't have any vehicle reg or reminder number.