Wireless Hotspot Safety

Aside from the wireless setup that you can have at home (see my article I wrote in May titled "What You Should Know About Wireless,") many people are finding out that wireless hotspots are also convenient for when you are away from home. Wireless hotspots are public places that are within the range of a wireless antenna, such as coffee shops, libraries, and airports.

The problem is that hackers and criminals can setup "fake hotspots" that overpower the real wireless signal. Using these hotspots, they can steal your information that is being sent in plain text over the wireless signals.

In an USA Today article by Jon Swarts, Jon Green who is the director of technical marketing at a Aruba Wireless network talks about these hackers. Aruba Wireless Networks makes radio-wave-scanning equipment that detects and shuts down bogus hot spots. "It could be someone sitting next to you on a plane or in a parking lot across the street from a coffee shop," says Jon Green.

A) Install a personal firewall (see my article I wrote in May titled "What You Should Know About Wireless" for suggestions on types of firewalls.)

B) Use hot spots only for Internet surfing. Try to stay away from sending secure transactions such as banking and paying bills online.

C) Enter passwords only into Web sites that include an SSL key (padlock icon in browser's status display).

D) Turn off or remove wireless card if you are at a place where they have a wireless signal, but you are not using the hot spot.

E) Make sure your laptop is up to date with the latest security patches from Windows, your virus protection program, and your spyware protection program.

F) If the hot spot is not working properly, assume your password has been stolen, report the problems to the hot spot service provider and change your password immediately.

If you have any questions, drop me an email and I will try my best to help you.

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