Many of us are travelers, and all of us are connected in one way or another. If you’re like me, you may have found yourself looking for a Wi-Fi connection at an airport or hotel and seen something like “Free Public Wi-Fi” as an available connection.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been a little suspicious. What reliable network administrator sets up such an unimaginative name for his wireless access point?
Because it turns out that just about anyone with administrator privileges and an Internet connection can play network admin, and not everyone – especially those offering things “for free” – has the public’s best interest at heart.
Ecce: Some pretty good gouge from the LA Times on how to avoid hacking, malware and botnet participation.
Thanks for the link, Lex. It looks like good info; however, grumpy old men like me who only use a desk top at home are in less danger from the wilds of public wi-fi. I will point it out to the rest of my family who are lap top users.
Paul
When I travel I avoid the “free” WiFi connections like the plague. And if it is absolutely necessary to connect, I use my employer’s VPN exclusively.
I only use Firefox on my Mac for connections outside of my workplace subnet, and have it protected as much as possible (no 3rd party cookies, immediate removal reset upon quitting, Extensions: NoScript, AdBlockPlus, Better Privacy, TrackMeNot, Certificate Patrol)
You can set up your own little wi-fi network when in a hotel, as a joke. Label it “FBI Observation Van #7″ or something similar.
Or ” NSA ( insert city name here ) Data collection post ” …..that would get the Libs spinning their wheels….snort
You two are evil, and I love it!
The wifey tells me that all the time -
” You’re evil and must be destroyed…”
Had a boss who liked to get on the nerves of our CFO and he always thought he’d get polished off by her one day –
His philosophy on that, ” Oh well, it’s been a nice run.”
At a coffee shop near a university dorm complex I once saw a network called “Free Virus here”. I got quite a laugh at that!
The technical term is “honeypot”. Lots of innocent people fall for the “Free WIFI” offer and end having all their traffic monitored recorded and stored, including passwords.
Most bars and lunch places have WIFI now, just ask the waiter, 99% of the times he will give you the password.
Mine was ‘The Rapist Down the Hall’ once.
You guys have given me some great ideas for our next WiFi AP names.
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is” was not repealed when microprocessors were invented.
If you wouldn’t yell it out at the top of your lungs in the coffee shop you shouldn’t put it out over the coffee shop’s (or anyone else’s) free WiFi.
We call our home network “Error! Corrupt Network”
And if you have an iPhone, don’t forget to turn Data Roaming OFF when you travel overseas…