WiFi worry: Laptops at risk of attack

Welcome To Laptop Hacks - Laptop News

WiFi worry: Laptops at risk of attack

As communities push to turn themselves into massive wireless hot spots, unsuspecting Internet users are giving hackers nearly effortless access to their laptops and private information, authorities and high-tech security experts say.

It's a growing invasion with a twist: People who think they are signing on to the Internet through a wireless hot spot might actually be connecting to a look-alike network, created by a malicious user who can steal sensitive information, said Geoff Bickers, a special agent for the FBI's Los Angeles cyber squad.

It is not clear how many people have been victimized, and few suspects have been charged with Wi-Fi hacking. But Bickers said that over the past couple of years, these hacking techniques have become increasingly common, and they are often undetectable. The risk is especially high at cafes, hotels and airports, busy places with heavy turnover of laptop users, authorities said. Personal Technology | Wi-Fi worry: Laptops at risk of attack | Seattle Times Newspaper Linked by LT Hacker