Is the standard mysql connection over port 3306 se

Question

Simple question:

I use Sequel Pro to connect to my database in the cloud. If I use the "standard" connection method (over port 3306), is that secure, or will a packet sniffer be able to suss out my password? Should I only ever use "ssh" connections?

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's not default, but mysql does support ssl.

https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/using-encrypted-connections.html

So likely, yes, your credentials are flying around in plain text, and can easily be captured by a sniffer.

If you are unable to get your provider to configure mysql ssl, perhaps you can vpn first to the network where the mysql server lives, and then connect to 3306? Guess it depends on what options your provider gives you.