HOW TO: Secure Firefox and IM with PuTTY
There are times when you want to connect to the Internet through unknown and/or insecure 
networks such as the local Panera or other WiFi hotspot. If you aren’t careful, you might make it all too easy for someone to sniff your connection using Ettercap.
One of the best ways to secure your connection is to use a VPN, but that isn’t always practical. So here’s a way to securely connect to the net using only an SSH client and a remote box that you control/trust.
Requirements:
1. PuTTY* loaded on your local machine
2. Remote host running OpenSSH (e.g. Linux box at home)
3. Firefox (obviously)
4. Gaim for all your IM needs
Just follow these step… import this. » Blog Archive » HOWTO: Secure Firefox and IM with PuTTY