Surfing in Public: It’s Like Unprotected Sex

On any given day, millions of netizens can be found sitting at a cyber cafe, coffee shop or other locale featuring public wi-fi, sipping coffee and tapping away on laptops. Wireless broadband keeps them surfing the Internet, but could someone be “sniffing” around their laptops – or using their connections to the public network to tap into their hard drives? Could they be planting a virus or stealing data? Internet lounges, cyber cafés and hotspots that offer wireless networking for laptop users can be great for those who work remotely. But hackers and cyber criminals have learned how to exploit user’s bad online habits. They’ll lurk on the network to “sniff” e-mails hunting for passwords, log-on pass codes and other data being sent electronically.

They’ll send pop-ups that tempt users to click to open – and thereby possibly launching a malicious attack. Hackers have even created an “Evil Twin,” or a realistic yet fake wireless networks that lures users to sign up with their credit card and other personal information. Once invaded, hackers can look at the hard drive, steal data, or install a Trojan designed to execute any number of functions – often without the owner even knowing.

Smart wi-fi users are taking steps to protect themselves. When they log on, smart surfers check the network itself by clicking on the “Network Connections” icon on the taskbar. This way, they see that no other users are visible on the wireless network. And before they log on, they turn on the firewall software that protects the PC from hackers. “You never know who’s on a public hotspot just looking for other user to hack and attack,” one user says.

“You have to make sure you’re as invisible as possible. Anything you do at a public hotspot is subject to someone looking over your shoulder, watching and even capturing your data.”

Using public wireless services require a few steps to ensure security. If you anticipate needing to use a wi-fi service from the road, log on and create an account from the home or office computer – that’s not on a wireless connection. This will eliminate sending credit card data over an unprotected network, and avoid the lure of an “Evil Twin.”

Beyond keeping the anti-virus software updated and the firewall running, other security options include:

Using GoToMyPC.com, an online service that acts like a virtual private network, or VPN. This provides secure access to the office or home computer from anywhere in the world. Other options: Witopia.net and Hotspotvpn.com, two VPN applications that also encrypt the wireless connections.
Compressing any files or data to be sent with PKZip or WinZip, and install a password for the recipient to use to open the file. Once sent, call the recipient with the password; do not e-mail the code.
Refusing the urge to click on a pop-up that appears on your screen while on the wireless network. Instead, close it. Says one IT Exec: “Clicking on it is the quickest, easiest way to have something execute on your PC.”
Disabling the wireless card when not surfing in pubic. Alternatively, right click on Network Neighborhood and disable the “wireless” connection.

“Using a public network without security is like unprotected sex. People used to think it was OK,” one exec says. ”Once you know what the risks are, you don’t do it anymore.”

Since the '80s, Jeff Zbar has been a writer, speaker and spokesman on all facets of working from home and entrepreneurship. His columns and blogs have appeared via Entrepreneur, Success Magazine, Home Office Computing and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and he has been a small business expert on national television and radio. Learn more at www.chiefhomeofficer.com.

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