Wi-Fi Hotspots Become Hackers' Delight

Easier now for hackers to snatch data from thin air
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 17, 2008 3:05 AM CST
Wi-Fi Hotspots Become Hackers' Delight
In this still frame taken from video, a MetroFi's transmitter affixed to a street sign is shown, Friday, June 1, 2007, in Portland, Ore. Wi-Fi hotspots are growing in number around the country but security experts warn that they can be favorite hangouts for hackers. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)   (Associated Press)

Wi-Fi hotspots multiplying around the nation are boosting convenience for internet users on the go, but are also making life easier for hackers, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hackers at hotspots in hotels, airports and cafes can pluck other users' financial details and company information out of the air.

Businesses offering Wi-Fi aren't keen on bad publicity so authorities suspect the scale of the problem is being under-reported. Security experts have plenty of tips to avoid wireless hacking, but the main one is simply to be careful. "You've got to assume that anything you are doing is being monitored," warned an FBI cybercrimes investigator. (More WiFi stories.)

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