An attacker might change message contents between parties, impersonate a party to gain access to another network, or even hijack the machine for a denial of service attack, where they have the machine suffocate the network with data. The second category is active monitoring, where the thief generates, alters or disrupts communication. This is nearly impossible for company IT managers to detect. Passive monitoring means a thief “eavesdrops” and doesn’t interfere with the data transfer. Once between the targeted computer and the router, there are two basic snooping methods. Sometimes attackers will try to crack the WEP or WPA encryption protocols, the standard security of web traffic (WEP has been deprecated but can still be found.). Weak password, default network configurations, and no additional security measure–– all easily avoidable––are one. There are a number of doors an attacker might try. But if the data’s unencrypted, they provide an attacker easy access to rip sensitive information. And the web’s full of easily downloadable applications that intercept packets exchanged between the router and computers––a process known as “sniffing.” These applications can be beneficial they’re a great way to assess the health and vulnerabilities of a network. YouTube returns almost four million results for “Wi-Fi hack,” videos with detailed instructions how to break into computers over unsecured networks. There’s plenty of ways to snatch people’s information right out of the air. But many networks remain vulnerable, and still too many websites that collect user data eschew HTTPS, all leaving the door open for a thief to access people’s machines. At a coffee shop, waiting for a flight, even in city parks, it’s almost impossible not to find public Wi-Fi anymore. Stop! You’re about to access an unsecured Wi-Fi network––so says the warning we’ve all encountered. Who’s Sniffing Public Access Wi-Fi and For What?
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