When Using Wi-Fi, Don't Smell Good To A Sniffer
If you have a laptop, you are probably using Wi-Fi. Wireless fidelity networks beam out your data into the air instead of having to be plugged in. In order to get on a Wi-Fi network and take advantage of the speed, mobility and low cost, you need your laptop, a Wi-Fi adapter and a Wi-Fi hotspot. There are over 120,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in public places like airports, hotels and restaurants. There also Wi-Fi hotspots you can connect to for your home or personal office use. Cities like Philadelphia are trying to make the entire city into a huge Wi-Fi hotspot.
But you also need to keep from putting out attractive cyber scents to "sniffers" who constantly monitor Wi-Fi hotspots to steal your personal information. Sniffers are online criminals who deal in personal data or use the data they find for fraud. They can seemingly snatch the information from nowhere, much like a bloodhound on the scent of an escaped prisoner.
Not An Oxymoron
Because your data is beamed out into the air, it can be intercepted and read by any sniffer. Wi-Fi security does not use the safety gates of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). But you still can keep your personal information safe from sniffers, making Wif-Fi security not an oxymoron.
Be sure you are connected to a legitimate Wi-Fi network and not an "evil twin". Be sure the "ad-hoc" (peer to peer) mode is switched off. Also, if you suddenly find a Wi-Fi hotspot where previously there had been none, then be suspicious of it.
Use a MAC filtering ID
Encrypt all emails you send out whenever you can.
Make sure your laptop has the latest version of a firewall.
Make sure your laptop also has the latest version of anti-virus software.
Don't do any file sharing. If you have a file-sharing option, turn it off.
Be aware of the real people sitting around you. Anyone leaning over your shoulder? Probably a not-too-subtle sniffer!
Make your passwords hard for anyone to guess, using a mix of numbers, punctuation and capitalization. Change your passwords every few months and never store them on your laptop.
Not Just Your Laptop
Remember, any device with wireless network capability can be sniffed out. All of these precautions need to be taken with any cell phones or PDAs that have internet access. Treat these easily lost items like the wad of cash they represent to a thief. Keep your hands on them at all times, and don't leave them in the car.
