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Unprotected public Wi-Fi poses a security risk

Unprotected public Wi-Fi poses a security risk
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Interesting to see a report on 15 of the world's airport in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper this week, in which an AirTight Networks white hat hacker reveals how insecure WiFi networks are at major airports.

According to Rick Farina, a white hat hacker for AirTight Networks, people signing on to free WiFi networks at airports are leaving themselves open to all sorts of issues, including leaking data, cookie interceptions and, of course, unprotected browsing.

And it's not just laptop users that are vulnerable, as Farina says you see iPhones all over the place at airports.

"Laptop users are only vulnerable when they turn them on. iPhone owners leave the Wi-Fi on all the time. It's a bigger target," he told the paper.

And, says AirTight Networks, a new WiFi vulnerability it has discovered means that WEP-secured networks can be cracked in just six minutes.

Read more of this fascinating feature here:

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Steve Gold

Posted by Steve Gold on 13 May 2008

From his base in Sheffield, England, Steve has been a journalist for far too long for his own good - actually, he's been a business journo/tech writer for 24 years, 20 of them full-time. He has specialised in IT security, business matters, the Internet and communications for most of that time.

Tags: Hacking, User Security, W-LAN security