Is it safe to use unsecured wifi on my laptop? I have antivirus and firewall...?

Several important things need attention, and will depend on what OS you are using.

Using Public 'Hotspots'; general concepts:

These can be trouble if you don't use extra precautions.

Because 'open' networks have no encryption between your unit and the router, everything you send or receive is in plain text.

So a hacker, with a commonly available application, can intercept and log all of your traffic 'packets'; run "brute force" programs to crack passwords and examine all of your traffic at their leisure (called "passive" hacks).

So the best advice is do not visit sites that are private, or require 'log-in', especially credit cards, banks, on so on.

The only secure method to use, over a 'hotspot' is a VPN.

A hotspot that uses "gateway" technology can log all traffic, by impersonating a secure connection, and reveal your SSL traffic.

A padlock indicating SSL may in fact be coming from the router (gateway), which uncloaks and records all traffic before re-encrypting and sending it out to the Internet.

Always right click the browsers "lock", then examine the pedigree of the certificate's source.

Any goofy or strange authority could mean some monkey business going on.

(aka "Man in the Middle")

Also, when you use a "hotspot" you are by definition in that LAN; and some Windows OS settings open certain ports which can be used to access your computer, by the bad guys.

So for laptops, turn off (aka 'unbind') printer & files sharing, via:

Start> Control Panel> Network Connections> right click 'Wireless Network Connections> Properties> General tab: here, uncheck "File & Printer sharing..."> OK out.

Vista & Win 7

Win7 and Vista have slightly different configurations for wifi.

There are 2 basic modes: A) Home & Office; or B) Public.

Each can be fine tuned for degree of 'granularity'.

[To access these settings go to Control Panel (All control panel items)> Network and Sharing Center> Change advanced sharing settings]

For Public [On the road or unknown connections]

The Public mode would be the opposite: you want minimum interaction from outside sources, and maximum connection security barriers.

Turn off network discovery (stealth your system)

Turn off file & printer sharing (shields your files from prowlers)

Turn off Public folder sharing (hides your otherwise 'shared' folders)

Turn off Media streaming

Use "128 bit..." (reduces external machine access probability)

Turn on Password protected sharing (adds another layer of security)

After re-configuring any of the above, make sure to "Save changes".

For ALL computers; use a stout firewall.

No. Absolutely not.

In an "open" WiFi environment (i.e. one that does not use a password), anybody else on the same WiFi network can see anything you send or receive. This means that you are seriously putting your self at risk if you sent or received valued information such as your social security number or credit card information.

Websites using SSL (Secures Socket Layers, https://)/ help in combating this, but a man in the middle style attack can easily defeat this type of protection. Usually, when attacked in this fashion, the user will be informed that the SSL Certificate for the website has changed... most people will just click "OK"... then BAM, they have your information.

I would stick to only transmitting valued information on trusted networks unless you actually know what you're doing.

...and no, neither Zone alarm nor any other firewall software is going to aid you in battling identity theft. That is not what a firewall does.

Unsecured Wifi

First you need to understand WiFi.

If you send information through the web on an unsecure WiFi, you need to ensure the website is encrypted. If it isn't, others can see the information you send. So I recommend that you don't send information, such as SSN, over an unsecure WiFi

If you have personal information on your computer and you are transmitting over an unsecure WiFi, anyone can access your computer to get your information. But of course, it does take a little time for others to access your computer and gather information.

Nothing is 100 percent safe. I recommend that you use unsecure WiFi for work products and entertainment, not paying bills, etc...

Yes.... that's about as secure as you can get with an unsecured hotspot.

Also make sure that whenever you're entering personal information into a website, such as your credit card number, that there's a yellow padlock either in your address bar or in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window. That indicates that the connection between you and the website is encrypted.

Also try to avoid using IE at all costs - in terms of security its one of the worst browsers available.

If you're using an unencrypted Wi-Fi connection, it is possbile that other people may be able to view the information you're sending over that network, so I'd suggest that you use caution sending any personal information, such as credit card numbers and such.

Your FireWall and antivirus program should help, but there is still the possibility that people can view the information you send over an unencrypted network.

Good luck and I hope I helped you!

Yes, you are generally safe if you have a firewall and an anti-virus.