Tagged: wireless security

Hotel WiFi is a Favorite Place for Hackers

When we are traveling, there’s nothing more convenient than hotels offering WiFi so we can check our email and possibly even get a little work done. Since we usually pay a premium to access the hotel’s WiFi network, many of us probably assume that it must be secure.

That Shared Family Tablet Could End Up Costing You Plenty

Consumers love their tablets. Their big touch screens and extreme portability make them ideal for browsing, apps, email, and a host of other online activities. So it’s not surprising that over half of users say tablets are their favorite device, according to Adobe data.

Unfortunately, tablets are also the favorite device of identity thieves, who love to hack them.

CSID Recommends Using a VPN to Stop Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

CSID, a company that offers identity protection for businesses, released a white paper entitled “When Good Technology Goes Bad: Evolution of Mobile Technology,” which describes how our culture has been completely transformed by mobile technology and public WiFi networks. So what can you do to stay safe? Check out the advice and tips from CSID.

Sophos’ Warbiking Campaign Shows Insecurities In Wireless Connections

IT firm Sophos wanted to find out whether people were connecting to wireless networks securely and identified 72,000 wireless networks around San Francisco in a matter of days. How did these networks fare when it comes to WiFi security? Who is using the best security? And HOW many connected to Sophos’s fake public WiFi network?

Google Says Collecting Data From Unencrypted WiFi Networks Isn’t Illegal

Do you think it’s legal to collect data transmitted over unencrypted WiFi networks?  Google does. That’s why it has gone to the highest court in the land to get a final decision on one of the most hotly debated legal issues of our time. The stakes couldn’t be higher for Google and for WiFi users everywhere.

Piggybackers Use Senior’s Unsecure Home WiFi Network for an Online Joyride

No one expects to get a $600 bill for basic wireless Internet service. But according to CBC News, that’s exactly what happened to Darlene Davies of Chilliwack, British Columbia. Davies normally pays $60 a month to use Rogers unsecured Rocket hub WiFi hotspot access point at home. So she was shocked when her monthly bill arrived and it was for 10 times that amount.

Davies said she didn’t know she had to add password protection to secure her home WiFi network. That left the door wide open for piggybackers to hop on her WiFi and rack up a huge bill.

Seattle Police Want to Track Citizens Using Municipal WiFi

Should we allow public WiFi networks to be used for surveillance purposes? Should law enforcement be allowed to store mobile-device data on all citizens (not just those involved in an investigation)? If you agree that we all have an inherent right to privacy, check out this article about what the Seattle police are doing now.

Are You Protected From Hackers on Public WiFi? [INFOGRAPHIC]

During tax season and beyond, it is hard to go a day without seeing a sign for free public WiFi at a local coffee shop, library, restaurant, airport, hotel, train station and countless other locations.  No matter where we go, WiFi is around us. While having instantaneous and constant access to wireless hotspots can be convenient, they also come with dangers and risks. Have you ever asked yourself whether you are protected against hackers and threats when using public WiFi?

New Drone Can Hack Into Your Mobile Device

It’s a story straight out of science fiction: a drone flies around your neighborhood, accessing your smartphone or tablet, stealing your usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and even tracks your location. But this is not a science fiction story.  Glenn Wilkinson and Daniel Cuthbert, two “white hat” (or ethical) hackers who work for Sensepost Research Labs, have developed a drone called Snoopy, turning a normal video-capturing drone into a flying hacking machine.

Filing Your Taxes On A Public Library Hotspot Could End Up Costing You Plenty

It’s that time of year again, when thousands of taxpayers flock to public libraries to get free tax advice and help filing their returns. That kind of assistance can make doing your taxes a lot less taxing, but if you use the library’s open WiFi hotspot at any point during the process, it could end up costing you plenty. You might be wondering how we know for sure that public library WiFi hotspots can expose your sensitive information. We know because we checked.

Avoid Identity Theft When Shopping with an iPad: Consumer Reports Recommends Using a Personal VPN

Tablets are quickly becoming the favorite mobile device for online shopping. Their big screens and extreme portability make online browsing and buying a whole lot easier for consumers. But unfortunately, tablets have become a favorite target of identity thieves. That’s why Consumer Reports recommends using a personal VPN to avoid identity theft when you’re shopping or banking at WiFi hotspots with an iPad.