WIRELESS INTERNET DANGEROUS FOR IDENTITY THEFT

Since being able to connect wirelessly is more and more easy and frequent, we have become increasingly dependent on the Internet in our daily lives. Wireless Internet is available almost everywhere: at home, at our offices, at cafes, restaurants, parks, airports, bus and train stations, cars and even airplanes. This means that "being connected" allows us to work and be in constant communication with family, friends and colleagues can be achieved on a 24/ basis. Undoubtedly, wireless Internet is really amazing. But how safe it is?

WiFi Internet is convenient but it is definitely not secure at all. Whenever you connect your laptop, notebook, iphone or intelligent touch phone to unprotected Wi-Fi all the data stored, uploaded and downloaded in and to the device is available to a hacker with proper sniffing tools. Comparatively, it is similar to leaving your credit card unattended in a public place or just shouting to the top of your lungs your Social Security Number.



It is always important to remember that any Wi-Fi connection, whether in a public place, at home or at the office, that is shared with anyone with a wireless device, does not allow you to encrypt the data packets streaming from the connected devices.

In addition, there are many online programs that allow Wi-Fi Internet users to spy on other people’s browser activity even though the victim’s login is encrypted since as soon as they visit an unencrypted site, their protection does not work any longer.

Even though home or office Wi-Fi with WEP (acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the original version of wireless network security, it is also true that it has been cracked, hacked and decimated.



For the most security, use WPA2 wireless Internet from a home or office environment that isn’t internally shared. If you must go online while traveling, use your carrier’s mobile broadband and forgo the hotel or café’s free wireless.



Identity theft can happen to anyone, regardless of how they connect to the Internet. Being aware of this is really very important as statistical data shows that more and more Americans are falling victims of identity thieves. Although it is true that most of the identity theft crime reported are not committed over the Internet but in a more traditional manner such as stealing letters and invoices from your mailbox, forging and damaging your credit card  or your debit card, copying information included in any identity card you may carry, stealing identity cards from your wallet or pockets and so on.

Taking simple precautions and security measures can really help you avoid being a victim of identity theft. You needn’t panic but security experts advice you to be over careful with the protection of your personal information.



It can take you really a lot of time to recover from a bad credit report or to get rid of an unwanted credit card debt., not to mention that at times you even have to pay in order to have all your problems solved.