Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > April > 25
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Would you like some ID theft with your coffee?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s something relaxing about pausing at a Starbucks to have a cup of coffee and check your e-mail while on the road.
I remember sitting in a coffee shop that offered wireless access with a security expert. Within a few minutes we were able to see screen names and passwords scrolling across the screen of his computer. Like most public wireless access points - hotels, coffee shops, you name it - the system was wide open.
The guy was a security expert but you wouldn’t need to be one to do the same thing. In fact - as this story says - the software you need to do this kind of snooping is freely available on the Internet. And no, I’m not offering a link but - I might as well - it isn’t very hard to find.
The article I linked above has some advice for being safer if you must use these places. But I advise against it altogether unless you have the ability to connect by VPN. If you don’t, don’t take a chance. If you must, at least read the linked article and take a few precautions.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Crime
