Is Using Someone Elses Wireless Internet Service Secure?
With the availability of public hot spots and neighborhood wireless (WiFi) networks springing up in every direction, you might wonder if using someone else’s wireless Internet service is secure. What exactly can Starbucks, a municipal network, or your neighbor see if you hop on to their networks? If they want, they might be able to see nearly everything that travels between your laptop and the network’s router. Using someone else’s wireless Internet service or even your own can create additional risks. When information is broadcast between a laptop and wireless router, anyone within range can use packet-sniffing software to pick up the broadcast. Someone listening in can trap usernames and passwords, email and file transfers. Only a connection made to a secure website remains secure, even across such a network, because the encryption originates at the website and extends to the user’s computer. To secure a wireless LAN from local eavesdropping, all information that travels between the
