 |
| Firesheep running on MacOS Firefox, capturing Facebook accounts |
Extra! Extra!: Open WiFi is not safe, it's open! Free, open wireless networks is something that everybody loves. But like every other "free" thing, it has a catch 22: you will pay with your security, or lack of it. It is old news that unencrypted WiFi is really dangerous. I guess we will have to learn this the hard way as always.
Millions of people rely on open wireless hotspots to get their daily fix of the internet without thinking twice. Since it invention 10 to 13 years ago, WiFi was a treat to security; then, to try to fix this problem, came along the defeated WEP; after that, the recently defeated WPA and a little more recently WPA2 encryption techniques. It is true that WPA2 is the strongest, consumer available, wireless encryption technology, but as it is known, people tend to forget to turn it on when they install their routers. Also, in order to free themselves from a little hassle, most public WiFi hotspot providers don't encrypt their networks at all, like in schools and universities or commercial establishments that serve the public, like restaurants and coffee houses.
Millions of people rely on open wireless hotspots to get their daily fix of the internet without thinking twice. Since it invention 10 to 13 years ago, WiFi was a treat to security; then, to try to fix this problem, came along the defeated WEP; after that, the recently defeated WPA and a little more recently WPA2 encryption techniques. It is true that WPA2 is the strongest, consumer available, wireless encryption technology, but as it is known, people tend to forget to turn it on when they install their routers. Also, in order to free themselves from a little hassle, most public WiFi hotspot providers don't encrypt their networks at all, like in schools and universities or commercial establishments that serve the public, like restaurants and coffee houses.
