Recent information available in Britain has shown that popular hotspots can be easily mimicked by thieves, which leaves consumers vulnerable to identity theft.
Tests conducted showed that security experts were able to obtain usernames, passwords and messages from phones using WiFi in public places. The tests all used volunteers so that no actual breach occurred. In cases where the iphone 4 was targeted, the information could be taken and stored without the user even knowing.
This issue is a huge problem for the UK’s nearly 5 million BT hotspots located in train stations, coffee shops, hotels, and airports. While the smartphone service providers have knows about these WiFI security flaws for some time, they have still not done anything about it.
Using inexpensive communication equipment and free software that you can download from the internet, thieves can set up bogus hotspots to start sniffing your personal information. Once you have established a connection with one of these impersonators, whether on a phone or laptop, they can start decrypting your sensitive data.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: British WiFi, identity theft expert, Identity Theft Speaker, John Sileo, Smartphone, Smartphone wifi, wifi, wifi hotspots, wifi internet, WiFi Security
Breaking News
Google has apologized after admitting that they were “accidentally” collecting users personal information that was sent over unsecured wifi networks. Head of communications at Google, Peter Barron, told the BBC that this was a ‘mistake‘ and more robust procedures will be put in place.
John Sileo became one of America’s leading Social Networking Speakers & sought after Identity Theft Experts after he lost his business and more than $300,000 to identity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department of Defense, Pfizer and the FDIC. To learn more about having him speak at your next meeting or conference, contact him by email or on 800.258.8076.
Posted in Identity Theft Prevention, Video Tips by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.
Tags: breaking news, data collection, Google, identity theft expert, John Sileo, social networking, wifi
