H
hazel
I don't have any mobile devices, but I know a lot of people now access their bank accounts on the go. A BBC report says "Don't do it!".
Apparently criminals can easily spoof a wi-fi hotspot and then read everything you enter. Most Internet cafes have a password for their free wi-fi, but it's often chalked up on a board over the counter and seldom changed. Such a network is easily spoofed.
Even using secure sites with https is no sure protection. Once you are on the spoof network, special software allows them to play "man in the middle". They intercept the key the site sends you and provide you with their own key instead. That way they can decrypt your input, steal your password and security details, and then re-encrypt using the site's key and send it on. Neither you nor your bank are any the wiser.
Wi-fi in hotels is safe because they usually provide you with a personal password that is cancelled when you leave.
Continue reading...
Apparently criminals can easily spoof a wi-fi hotspot and then read everything you enter. Most Internet cafes have a password for their free wi-fi, but it's often chalked up on a board over the counter and seldom changed. Such a network is easily spoofed.
Even using secure sites with https is no sure protection. Once you are on the spoof network, special software allows them to play "man in the middle". They intercept the key the site sends you and provide you with their own key instead. That way they can decrypt your input, steal your password and security details, and then re-encrypt using the site's key and send it on. Neither you nor your bank are any the wiser.
Wi-fi in hotels is safe because they usually provide you with a personal password that is cancelled when you leave.
Continue reading...