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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Hackers Create Fake Wi-Fi Spots to Scam Vacationers

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(Newser) – If you’re planning to take your laptop on the road this summer, pay careful attention to which wireless network you sign on to. Scammers are setting up fake wi-fi hot spots in tourist-friendly places like airports and hotels, or simply using official, but unsecured networks, Fox News reports. Once an unsuspecting traveler logs in, a cybercriminal can easily raid his computer for information.

A group of “white hat” hackers—who try to thwart “black hat” cybercriminals—conducted a tour of 27 airports, and the results weren’t pretty. “People just log in to the first robust network they see,” said a group spokesman. “We found only 3% were using a secure network.” What’s worse, many were banking online, buying stock. “These are not the kinds of things you want to do on public wi-fi,” says one hacker.

Hackers are catching vacationing laptop users unaware.
Hackers are catching vacationing laptop users unaware.   (Shutterstock)
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shonangreg
Jul 11, 09 8:23 PM CDT
One general solution: set up a separate email account for traveling (gmail is easy for this; the others will do). Give the email address to those who will want to contact you while gone. Access only that account; don't touch your regular accounts. ........... You can do more, but you're going to start getting into risky territory: use regular email accounts but change the password before you go and after you return, forward email from other accounts to the traveling account, set your gmail account to use encryption always, set up a VPN, . . . Simple is better if it is a vacation. .......... If you need to do serious network stuff, certainly take your own computer, access only known access points, use encryption (network and whole drive), . . . Reply
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truenorthwestcoast
Jul 11, 09 9:17 PM CDT
use boingo wireless network it is secured and been using it no problem all over the world...try boingo.com Reply
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