Wireless Data Theives Are Everywhere
At my vacation house this year the owner provided a free wireless internet connection that anyone in our house (and probably a few surrounding houses) could use while they were staying there.
I mentioned to my niece who also brought her laptop along that it was possible (but not likely where we were) when using an unencrypted network that someone else could be intercepting and reading anything that she sent out over the network. She’s young and didn’t realize such things were even possible, but even for someone who knows it’s pretty easy to take security for granted, especially when you’re on vacation.
Today I read on Fox news that there are many shady folks setting up free open wireless networks at vacation spots like hotels, airports and many others just to “listen in” and steal your valuable personal information.
If you have a network yourself, you know that you can name it anything you want, so criminals are picking names to look like they are a legitimate service provided by someone that you trust. Since the bad guys control the network it makes it even easier for them to see everything that you send and receive. Worse yet it’s possible for them to get into your machine.
My advice to anyone using an open network connection on their computer or phone is to use a good firewall and to always assume that someone is listening in. Don’t give them anything to steal. While I was away I did have a few important errands that required a secure connection and for those few times I turned the Wi-Fi off on my phone and used the phone’s much more secure network.
Read more about this and pick up some more good security tips on the Fox News site
