(Source: The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania)
The scam: Go to an airport, a coffee shop, bookstore and many other public sites and you'll have access to Wi-Fi service. That's great for killing time while waiting for your connecting flight or just while sipping your double mocha caramel latte. It's also great for online thieves.
How it works: According to a recent AARP Bulletin, a hacker can place himself where an unsecure network signal is strongest and, using off-the-shelf equipment, can hijack the host network. With a few clicks on his keyboard, he can rename the network and get hot spot visitors to log on to it, assuming they're on the network of the host hotel or coffee shop, AARP says. The danger: Once you enter his network, the hacker can get your user ID, passwords and, if you're doing online shopping or banking, your credit card or bank account information. In addition, AARP notes, while he's taking information from you, you may be unknowingly downloading viruses and other malware from him.
What to do: A few tips from AARP: Always check with the host establishment to confirm the network name and log-in appearance to ensure you're not logging on to a hacker's site. Never make financial transactions at a Wi-Fi hot spot. Make sure that your laptop is properly secured with up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software and that it has current firewalls. Change the default setting of your laptop so you have to manually select the Wi-Fi network to which you're connecting. You can find and download free encryption software when using Wi-Fi networks.
___
(c) 2009, The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
Visit The Morning Call at http://www.mcall.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
______
TO SUBSCRIBE TO NEWS2USE
Items in the News2Use package are not included in your MCT News Service subscription. You can subscribe to the News2Use package or purchase the items a la carte on MCT Direct at www.mctdirect.com. To subscribe, please call Rick DeChantal at Tribune Media Services at (800) 245-6536 or rdechantal@tribune.com. Outside the United States, call Tribune Media Services International at +1-312-222-4444or e-mail tmsisales@tribune.com.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
