Monthly Archive: August 2014

The Newest WiFi Threat: Cats

Just when you thought it was safe to use WiFi…along comes the latest threat: cats. Wait, cats? Really? Well, that is if the cat comes outfitted with the newest WiFi hacking device, called WarKitteh.

What type of encryption did Coco the cat find on his neighborhood adventures? Click to find out.

Why the Delay? 3 Simple Steps to Protect Your Password Today

Last week brought us the story of a Russian cybergang that hacked into the ownership of 1.2 billion usernames and passwords. Last week also presented me with the most obvious demonstration of aloofness to how people view their personal information.

So just how technologically savvy do you need to be to take one of the strongest measures available to protect your personal information? Well, let’s just say I would bet money that you can do it.

One of NYC’s Free WiFi Providers Goes Kaput

Is New York City’s free WiFi program in trouble?

A research group known as Gotham City Research claims that Gowex, one of the five organizations that former New York City Mayor Bloomberg had chosen to provide free WiFi service in the city’s five boroughs, cooked their books and vastly overstated its earnings. Based on this report, Gowex filed for bankruptcy.

Nothing Safe about Library WiFi Networks

It’s back-to-school season, and if you like to surf the Internet while at the library (or even file your taxes), remember that nearly all library WiFi networks are completely open. This means that anything you do online at the library could potentially be seen and intercepted by another person on the same network.

Keep reading for essential tips to protect you (and your children) on any library’s WiFi network.

Mobile Threats: What You Need to Know About Mobile Payment Risks and Responsibilities

As we continue to rely on the precarious mix of mobile banking & payments, mobile apps, and public WiFi hotspots, it’s perhaps not such a surprise that online bank fraud is escalating. Quite a bit of this fraud is perpetrated by malicious apps that users inadvertently download on their mobile devices. App developers with malicious intent have become quite adept at concealing the surreptitious nature of these apps.

Goodwill Data Breach: Even Charities Are Susceptible to Cyber Criminals

It’s believed that Goodwill stores in as many as 21 states may have been hacked for the credit card data of consumers who’ve shopped at the thrift stores. Some signs have led investigators to believe these cybercrimes may have begun as early as May of 2012. But what would make someone stoop so low as to attack a charity whose purpose is to restore a sense of pride in people who are in need, mostly by providing them with training and skills to find better jobs?

PRIVATE WiFi Unveils WiFi Dashboard to Alert Windows 8 Users When a Wireless Network Is Unsecure

PRIVATE WiFi today unveiled a new free app — WiFi Dashboard — for Windows 8 personal computers and Surface tablets, which will alert users when they are using unsecure or unencrypted WiFi. Many hotspots — whether people access them in a hotel, coffee shop, park, or are using an open connection at home — are unsecure. WiFi Dashboard shows the connectivity status of the network and provides information about the network name, IP address, and location. This new app is the first of its kind for Windows 8 to alert people when they are connected on an unsecure connection, so that they can take immediate steps to protect their identity and personal information.

WiFi to Get Faster and Overtake Wired Traffic by 2018

The next generation of WiFi technology will be able to transmit over 7 Gbps (gigabytes per second) data speed, and by 2018, worldwide WiFi traffic will overtake wired traffic for the first time ever.

This means that as fast as things move now in the digital world, they will begin to move even faster.