She should:

1) Make sure that the network she's connecting to is definitely the library's network - basically check the name. Theoretically someone else could rename their hotspot with the same name so check the list of available networks, but if there's only one with the correct name then you're pretty safe.

2) Type the bank's address in from scratch, or from a web search - don't click a link from an email or from any social media posts.

3) Make sure the websites she's visiting are using https (not http) - if the browser hides that protocol then it usually displays a 'padlock' icon next to the address identifying the site as secure. And increasingly browsers give dire warnings or even don't let you visit http sites anyway.

Having a VPN connection won't hurt but it won't give much extra protection in addition to those. And it can't protect you at all if you follow a link from a phishing email. So I'm inclined to see it as a distraction in this case. If it makes her feel better, okay, but the most important thing to keep her secure is my point #2 above.

Deborah



-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of charles meyer
Sent: Sunday, October 8, 2023 2:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] VPNs - free to low cost

Caution: This email originated from outside our organisation. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.


Hi Erich and Tom,

Thank you so much for sharing your helpful thoughts, experience with TunnelBear and links to trusted review sites.

They are hard to come by for everything these days – consumer goods, electronics, etc.

You wrote <snip> If you want the privacy from tracking or surveillance, I wouldn’t use a free VPN service.”

What would you use?

How affordable is that option?

I’ve since learned she’s been a victim of fraud on the net via Instagram and Facebook so she doesn’t want be found by these miscreants and wants to ensure her Social Security money isn’t drained from her bank checking account via unauthorized withdrawals.

Would TunnelBear suffice under these circumstances?

Hi Joe… Thank you for educating me re: what VPNs but what would you do/use if you were in this patron’s circumstances?

Hi Tamara, since you don’t recommend using a VPN in these circumstances how would you suggest someone who isn’t a systems administrator and doesn’t have that training ascertain how to check that her public WIFI provided by a smaller public library is secure with a valid certificate?

She logs on to the net with the library hotspot and types in her bank’s url (or click the bookmark in Firefox, Brave or Vivaldi) and is prompted for her user ID and password to her bank web page. Once in to that back she checks on checking account balance and for any unauthorized debits.

She then needs to connect to the online credit card bank to log in so she can transfer funds from her local bank to the credit card bank so she can pay off her monthly credit card balance.

Thank you so much.

Charles.

Charlotte County Public Library

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