This is one of those articles that everyone should read that uses public hotspots. While they are a nice convenience to have, they can be more of a threat than you think. Nowadays, there are tools publicly available that allow you to virtually create your own hotspot via your system that users can connect to. If people do end up connecting through you, you’ll be able to eavesdrop on everything they do and acquire any user accounts they may use during their session online. Tools like this are becoming more common and it is very difficult to differentiate between legit and fraudulent hotspots. If you absolutely need to use free hotspots, my recommendation would be to at least stay away from entering any usernames and passwords of any sort.

WiFi is not just for laptops anymore. All sorts of devices now connect to the Internet via Wireless Fidelity technology. Smartphones — think Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone, among others — mobile media players and even gaming machines often come with WiFi features to enhance usability.

At the same time, more and more hotspots are popping up in hotels, resorts, airports, restaurants, coffee shops and book stores. A growing trend for municipalities and business centers is providing the public with free WiFi networks or private access points that users can access for a fee.

All too often, this conglomeration of hotspots now frequently found in public spaces comes with an unexpected cost for mobile device users hungry for an Internet connection — especially a free one. The proliferation of WiFi accessibility is seriously affecting security . More hackers are targeting WiFi as user numbers grow, warn security experts.[more]

Tags: Wireless Security