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My credit card has legally builtin insurance against fraudulent use - I'm not liable for a penny of that use if it was used illegally - unless the card itself was stolen and I failed to report it - in which case i'm liable for up to $50. (As soon as I report it stolen, I'm not liable for anything)

I use a credit card because it's safer and offers me options - someone snarfing the number would be a nuisance, because I'd need a new card, but that's it.

Let's please not forget (Sight.. I know - everyone already has) that charge-cards were pushed onto the market as a safe, convenient alternative to using cash - not a walking liability - don't let the issuers turn them into one on us.

As to the analogy - it's quite different. I'm very security conscious, and I generally don't do certain types of activity on uncontrolled or unknown networks (banking - home or somewhere else safe - but facebook at starbucks, okay)

IT's not just a problem with open hotspots, it's with any network you are on, anywhere - an open hotspot is just the easiest place for someone to try this on. An employee at an ISP could snarf data from millions of users easily...




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