Kindle Fire Security over open WIFI

LauretteBradley · 12-07-2011, 09:54 PM

From the Amazon Help page on the Kindle Fire

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...deId=200775440

It says --

"Amazon Silk encrypts all web traffic between the Kindle Fire and our AWS infrastructure, even where traditional browsers would not encrypt."

Since encrypting traffic is one of the key security measures for improving the safety of open WIFI hotspots, does this mean that the Kindle Fire is safer to use than a typical PC browser that only encrypts https traffic?

I understand that nothing is totally secure -- everything is vulnerable to injection attacks, weak key derivation processes, crumbled cookies and god knows what else. But it seems to me that the statement above from Amazon implies that the Silk browser is a bit tighter than a PC browser.

Thoughts?

CRussel · 12-08-2011, 12:55 PM

Is it more secure? Marginally. But honestly, no. You're sitting there with your device connected to a wide open wire that ANYONE can tap into. Open WiFi is inherently unsafe, and should be treated as the security nightmare it is.

(this doesn't mean don't use it. But don't use it where anything you're doing is even mildly sensitive. )

12-07-2011, 09:54 PM	#1
LauretteBradley Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 3474 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: RI, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle reader on iPad and iPhone	Kindle Fire Security over open WIFI From the Amazon Help page on the Kindle Fire http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...deId=200775440 It says -- "Amazon Silk encrypts all web traffic between the Kindle Fire and our AWS infrastructure, even where traditional browsers would not encrypt." Since encrypting traffic is one of the key security measures for improving the safety of open WIFI hotspots, does this mean that the Kindle Fire is safer to use than a typical PC browser that only encrypts https traffic? I understand that nothing is totally secure -- everything is vulnerable to injection attacks, weak key derivation processes, crumbled cookies and god knows what else. But it seems to me that the statement above from Amazon implies that the Silk browser is a bit tighter than a PC browser. Thoughts?

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12-08-2011, 12:55 PM	#2
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Is it more secure? Marginally. But honestly, no. You're sitting there with your device connected to a wide open wire that ANYONE can tap into. Open WiFi is inherently unsafe, and should be treated as the security nightmare it is. (this doesn't mean don't use it. But don't use it where anything you're doing is even mildly sensitive. )

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