How to Detect if Someone's Stealing Your Wi. Fi. It may be hard to imagine, but just a mere 2. Internet was nothing more than a novelty - - a way for incredibly smart college professors and researchers to share information, and for a few people to network across the newly developed World Wide Web. ![]() E- mail was nothing like it is today. The primitive e- mail systems found at universities or even through accounts offered with the first Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Prodigy and America Online were often difficult to use. Fast forward to the 2. Where wired Internet once kept us tethered to a desk, today's laptops and mobile devices give us access to friends and endless entertainment practically anywhere via Wi. Fi, 3. G and 4. G technologies. While we use 3. G and 4. G data on our smartphones as we're out and about in the world, Wi. Fi still dominates in the home. And in coffee shops. And libraries. And airports. Thanks to the ubiquity of wireless routers and hotspots, just about any plain old wired Internet connection - - faster and cheaper and without the limiting bandwidth caps of cellular data - - can be turned into a convenient Wi. Fi zone. Whether we install them ourselves or get them from our Internet providers, most of us have Wi. Fi routers in our homes these days. That can cause a couple of problems: When wireless signals are operating on the same frequency, they can cause interference, especially if you're living in an apartment building. And without the proper security, someone could easily hop onto your wireless network. Chances are you're reading this article because you suspect someone is piggybacking or using your Wi. Fi without your permission. When wireless squatters steal your Wi. Fi, they eat up your bandwidth. ![]() ![]() ![]() In extreme cases, they may even steal information off your computer or infect machines on your network with a virus. But fear not: It's easy to fight back. Let's start with a basic overview of managing a wireless network, which is the first step towards keeping your Wi. Fi setup nice and secure. The Risks of Unsecured Wi. Fi Hotspots. With the convenience and mobility of smartphones and tablets, business has never been easier to conduct on the go. Some service providers are even offering mobile network calling to expand coverage in areas with poor cellular reception. However, if you frequently use Wi. Fi hotspots, you need to be aware of the inherent risks in doing so and take the necessary precautions. The Issue of Privacy. The thing about public networks is anybody can use them, and you never know who you’re sharing cyberspace with. It’s a lot like using a public parking lot. You run the risk of someone dinging your car, or in this case, hacking your connection. It’s surprisingly easy to do, and public Wi. ![]() Fi hotspots present tempting targets to hackers. Many times these individuals will stake out locations, appearing to be nothing more than a guy enjoying his coffee and surfing Reddit. In all reality, you could be sharing bandwidth with someone who’s secretly trying to hack your connection two tables away. The Solution: Manage Privacy Settings and Install a VPNIt’s important to realize that public Wi. Fi hotspots are often targets for identity thieves, and to take the necessary precautions. ![]() Before you even attempt to connect, go over the network and sharing settings on your device, and familiarize yourself with how and when your device shares information. Of particular concern are public access folders. Make sure you have file sharing turned off, and always be cautious about what kind of files you put into these folders. Also, if your device has a setting called Network Discovery, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s turned off. This setting allows other devices to spot yours on the network. While it’s handy for locating nearby wireless printers, it also puts you on the radar for other users on the network and could present you as a possible target.
How many WiFi devices do you own? I own three myself – my iPad, iPod, and Android smartphone – but only my smartphone is capable of reaching the Internet without. Detecting Wireless Piggybacking - Wireless piggybacking occurs when someone is using your WiFi signal. See how to tell when wireless piggybacking might be occurring. Could your neighbors be stealing your Internet? Here's how to find out and stop them. Download CommView for WiFi. CommView for WiFi is a tool for monitoring wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networks. To use this product, you must have a compatible wireless. Once you get your security settings figured out, it’s worth looking into further measures for protecting your data. While the basic settings make it more difficult for hackers to notice you on a network, your data is still floating freely over the same connection they’re using. It’s a good idea to have a VPN installed on your mobile devices as an additional security measure. VPNs actually encrypt all of your web traffic, so that even if your data is intercepted, it’s completely indecipherable to the thief. A lot of people actually install VPNs as a way to access blocked websites, but the level of security and internet privacy that they provide is tough to match on its own even. ![]() It’s definitely an app worth installing. Constant Data Transmission. Another major problem with Wi. Fi hotspots is that our devices almost always try to interact with them automatically. That phone in your pocket, unless you adjust the settings, is going to try to connect with every hotspot you pass through. During that time, your apps could be updating, you could be receiving emails, social media notifications—any number of personal data that could be transmitting over an unsecured network completely unbeknownst to you. Again, this is a case for managing your device’s settings. Ultimately, it falls on you to ensure that your device doesn’t communicate with networks without your say- so. The Risk of Infection. Like any physical public space, virtual public spaces also carry the risk of spreading viruses, namely in this case, malware. ![]() WiFi running a bit slow lately? If your router is still using old security methods such as WEP, then there’s a very real possibility that someone has hacked in to. Developed by: Wi-Fi Alliance: Introduced: September 1998; 18 years ago () Compatible hardware: Mobile phones, personal computers, gaming consoles, televisions. If another device on the network is infected with something, it’s entirely possible that the malware will use the network to try to reach other devices. The Solution: Install Anti- virus Protection. Make sure you’re always running the latest anti- virus software on your device and that your firewall is fully functional on these public networks. If you have a smartphone, this is of equal concern, so be sure to shop around the app stores to find a compatible program that will protect your device from infection.“Fake” Hotspots. This is an issue that is seldom discussed, but is very much a real threat, and one that can wreak absolute havoc on users. Often referred to as the honeypot, fake Wi. Fi hotspots are set up for the sole purpose of luring victims in with the promise of free Wi. Fi, only to steal their information. It’s a simple setup, and one that can be difficult to prevent, short of simply sticking to using only business networks that you trust. In an experiment to see just how effective this method was at stealing users’ information, F- Secure built a Wi. Fi hotspot in the heart of London. For this experiment, they had users of the hotpot agree to their terms and conditions, and just for fun, those included that the user must give up their firstborn child or pet to use the network. The hotspot was only active for a few hours, but in that time, six users agreed to those terms. Over the course of the experiment, the team from F- Secure found that 2. At the end of the experiment, the data that was collected was destroyed, but a staggering point had been made—users are nowhere near cautious enough with public Wi. Fi use. And setting up a dummy network such as this one is an all too successful way to steal information. Convenience at a Cost. Nobody is expecting to read this article and suddenly swear off public Wi. Fi use. It’s just too darn convenient. And it makes sense. With hotspots located at nearly every block these days, you can stay connected constantly, working from virtually anywhere and even filling out spotty cell phone coverage with what is essentially now supplemental vo. IP service. And that’s all great, by all means, cloud compute, work remotely, Tweet away, but do so with the knowledge and understanding that your data over a public Wi. Fi hotspot is only as secure as you make it. You have to go that extra mile, and you have to be extremely proactive to keep your data safe. Do not skimp on this one. Identity theft happens all the time, and this is one of the most common ways in which it does. You can prevent it, but ultimately the security aspect of hotspot use falls to you, not the administrator. Have you ever had your connection hacked? How long did it take for you to realize what had happened?
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November 2017
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