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Tweeted twitter.com/#!/StackSecurity/status/408706534127173633
Clarified title and added corporate-policy tag to address the second question.
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Xander
Xander
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Public hotstop (in)security Are there risks associated with connecting to a public hotspot?

When connecting to a public unknown public hotspot, I know that the data transmitted can be captured and, if unencrypted, easily analyzed. But that's not the question here.

I want to know whether the information saved on the computers (company computers running Windows 7 - 8 or some Linux installations, some smartphones, Androids and iPhones), which is not being transmitted, is also at risk?

  Can a computer be cracked just because it's connected to the hotspot? 

If the answer is yes, what would be aan appropriate security policy to deal with it? Prohibiting connecting would be a more extreme measure, ifis there isn't anything else.?

Public hotstop (in)security

When connecting to a public unknown hotspot, I know that the data transmitted can be captured and, if unencrypted, easily analyzed. But that's not the question here.

I want to know whether the information saved on the computers (company computers running Windows 7 - 8 or some Linux installations, some smartphones, Androids and iPhones), which is not being transmitted, is also at risk?

  Can a computer be cracked just because it's connected to the hotspot? If yes, what would be a security policy to deal with it? Prohibiting connecting would be a more extreme measure, if there isn't anything else.

Are there risks associated with connecting to a public hotspot?

When connecting to a unknown public hotspot, I know that the data transmitted can be captured and, if unencrypted, easily analyzed. But that's not the question here.

I want to know whether the information saved on the computers (company computers running Windows 7 - 8 or some Linux installations, some smartphones, Androids and iPhones), which is not being transmitted, is also at risk? Can a computer be cracked just because it's connected to the hotspot? 

If the answer is yes, what would be an appropriate security policy to deal with it? Prohibiting connecting would be a more extreme measure, is there anything else?

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Quora Feans
Quora Feans
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Public hotstop (in)security

When connecting to a public unknown hotspot, I know that the data transmitted can be captured and, if unencrypted, easily analyzed. But that's not the question here.

I want to know whether the information saved on the computers (company computers running Windows 7 - 8 or some Linux installations, some smartphones, Androids and iPhones), which is not being transmitted, is also at risk?

Can a computer be cracked just because it's connected to the hotspot? If yes, what would be a security policy to deal with it? Prohibiting connecting would be a more extreme measure, if there isn't anything else.