Connecting to the Internet over Wi-Fi hot spots in public areas, such as cafes or hotels, may be risky if you’re sending sensitive information over an unsecured network. Cybercriminals can conduct electronic eavesdropping, known as “sniffing,” by tapping into your information via public Wi-Fi hotspots and downloading or storing it for review later, security experts warn.
Many Web sites, such as banking sites, are encrypted. But the information you transmit from your laptop over a public Wi-Fi network to access that information may not be, says Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director for the Wi-Fi Alliance, a global nonprofit industry association.
Another danger that security experts warn about is logging into a public hot spot home page that can be a phishing scam. The page may trick you to reveal your credit card number, birth date, or other personal information that could put you at risk for identity theft.
"You should always assume the worst and that you don't have security protection and conduct yourself accordingly," says Davis-Felner.
Some road warrior professionals use a virtual private network (VPN), which is software that protects data transmissions when accessing any work data. Others are also using a MiFi, a secure mobile Wi-Fi hotspot over a cellular network, to keep their data safe from attacks.
Source: “Mobile Security Challenges Travelers; Always-on Devices Can Leave You Vulnerable to Criminals,” The News &
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