Be cautious of fake networks

By Chandra Devi (New Straits Times, 11 April 2007)

MORE and more hotels, cafes, airports, libraries and now even parks are providing Wi-Fi Internet access to the public. Some locations provide hotspots for free and there are others who require a subscription or fee.

While these businesses view it as an attraction to get more customers, for the business traveller and holiday reveller, hotspot means being able to be connected easily wherever they are.
Sad to say that in this case, convenience has its disadvantage.

Most public Wi-Fi hotspots on the open public network are not secure and hopping on it means being exposed to hackers and security breaches. Mobile users are actually taking a security risk when relying on hotspots.

Although hotspots authenticate users, this does not secure the data transmission or prevent hackers from sniffing network traffic. Hackers are known to "hang" about public Wi-Fi networks, sniffing for names, passwords and credit card numbers.

An easy target for hackers are users who have turned on file sharing.

When on this mode on the public network, you provide easy access to all the resources on your hard disks. Also when you connect to a public network, you are more open to viruses, worms and various malware.

Of course, simple precautions like disabling file sharing and installing anti-virus software can save your computer from being hacked and your personal data stolen but be wary that hackers have other ways of getting to your mobile computer.

According to reports, one worrying method that have many falling victims to is the use of malicious hotspots. This apparently is not a new scam but one that is on the rise. The trend among cyber criminals is to set up a look-a-like network that dupes public Wi-Fi network users into believing that they are signing on a legitimate network.

The "evil twin" network looks normal for a user who then proceeds to type in sensitive data and access e-mail not knowing that all these information is being hijacked by a "man in the middle".
So, be wary when you are on a public Wi-Fi network. While it can be difficult to identify malicious hotspots, being cautious can save you a lot of trouble.

Here are two tips to stay safe - never connect when there is no sign for a legitimate hotspot provider and never set your wireless card to connect automatically to any available network.