Ellen PhillipsQ: How can I be sure that when I travel, Wi-Fi connections are secure?
– William Worried
A: Dear Mr. Worried: You’re right to be concerned. Hackers lurk around every corner these days to snatch your cyber information right out from under you, and they’re getting increasingly more sophisticated in their attacks. Whether you’re waiting at the airport, looking at your bank balance, or drinking a cup of coffee at Panera while you check email, odds are a hacker is nearby, waiting to “eavesdrop.”
There are 1.3 million Wi-Fi hot spots globally (and expected to climb to 5.8 million by the end of 2015), and these are everywhere you go: airports, bookstores, restaurants, hotels, schools, libraries, and other locations where thousands of people pass through daily. And, yes, while some do have secure networks, enough do not, which leaves us vulnerable to hacker intrusions and attacks.
Take a bogus but legitimate-looking network with a strong signal, for example. A hacker sets up nearby and waits for an unsuspecting victim to connect. Once this occurs, every ounce of personal info, including user ID, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account info, and so forth is snatched up by Terry Thief who goes on to spend your money and assume your identity. Furthermore, just as he’s stolen from your laptop, iPad or smart phone, you may be unwittingly downloading viruses and other malware from him. Sadly, businesses that offer free Wi-Fi aren’t aware their networks have been breached, even though law enforcement gets involved with the individual victim(s).