1 in 3 american ‘borrow’ WiFi from others

The WiFi Alliance has published a study in which they found that 32% of people (in the U.S) use a WiFi connection that is not theirs. It is usually the WiFi network of someone nearby their home or work (that makes sense…). Interestingly, many people don’t protect their WiFi network, even with a simple password. I suspect that this is particularly true with older routers where the router user interface could be very intimidating, not that the new ones are great – but they are better.

Whether your network is being hijacked or you’re using someone else’s  network without authorization, you expose your computer to unauthorized accesses that could lead to stolen ID, passwords etc… so keep that in mind next time you hop onto someone else’s network, or leave your own network unprotected. The WiFi Alliance has a few tips to protect yourself, and with sidejacking being very easy, you should pay attention.

Hubert Nguyen
Categories: Computers