Ebills and Laptops

[TJ]

I simply activate the Hotspot on my iPhone and connect the iPad to it. That provides me with a better keyboard (I have a Bluetooth keyboard attached to my iPad) and a more secure connection.

And, I only pay bills directly to the vendor (utilities, etc.) and not through my bank which would expose my bank account to potential hacking.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Tranquil Jim

I simply activate the Hotspot on my iPhone and connect the iPad to it. That provides me with a better keyboard (I have a Bluetooth keyboard attached to my iPad) and a more secure connection.

And, I only pay bills directly to the vendor (utilities, etc.) and not through my bank which would expose my bank account to potential hacking.

Probably some of the best advice.

[redcolorado]

All of my banking is direct deposit and direct bill. All utilities are auto pay from 1 credit card that is used for that purpose only and all credit cards and truck mayment are auto pay from 1 checking account used for that purpose only. I do not need to go into that account for any reason when on travel. I also have several alerts set for that account. This has worked for me for over 15 years. But, I agree nothing involving WiFi or internet is 100% secure. If you don't want the world to see it why put it out there. My grandkids put their lives on social media for strangers to see. I'm to old to understand I guess.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Tranquil Jim

I simply activate the Hotspot on my iPhone and connect the iPad to it. That provides me with a better keyboard (I have a Bluetooth keyboard attached to my iPad) and a more secure connection.

And, I only pay bills directly to the vendor (utilities, etc.) and not through my bank which would expose my bank account to potential hacking.

But you are exposing your credit/debit card number. Better credit than debit as the limits you are responsible for are different.

The fellow with autopay has the best answer. Periodically get on a secure location to check the account.

[SMertens]

Originally Posted by Tranquil Jim

I simply activate the Hotspot on my iPhone and connect the iPad to it. That provides me with a better keyboard (I have a Bluetooth keyboard attached to my iPad) and a more secure connection.

And, I only pay bills directly to the vendor (utilities, etc.) and not through my bank which would expose my bank account to potential hacking.

Your problem of course is bluetooth is normally only a 4 or 5 digit code, I can easily crack by brut force attacks in minutes, sometimes seconds since most people use the default code. Of course I have to be reasonably close to you to camp onto and sniff your bluetooth traffic. Like in Starbucks or an RV or 2 away from you, or a common area of the park.

There is no guaranteed way to stay safe, but as I've said there are reasonable precautions you can take. End to End encrypted tunnels like tunnelbear, but don't use wireless keyboards they are weak points. 2-factor authentication. Even if your password is cracked or stole, they would also need your phone.

The thing to understand is everything is a trade off. Wireless keyboards may be worth it as long as you understand the risks. They certainly are convenient. I use one on my MacBook Pro. I just use the MAC's keyboard when typing passwords, easy no bluetooth traffic to sniff. Yes I've forgotten and typed on the wrong keyboard many times, it happens but at least I know the risks.

What about going off-grid to avoid all these issues. There is never any guarantee. Remember the Wells Fargo scandal a few weeks back. All the security in the world did not help. As long as you know there are risks, then it's up to you to decide how much security you want, or what step you take to mitigate the risks.