Vermont Bar Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2 Vermont Bar Journal, Spring 2017, Volume 43, No. 1 | Page 19
by Michael J. Servidio, MCSE of Technology Consultants, Inc.
TECH TIPS
WARNING: What You Need To Know
Before Connecting To A Public Wifi
You have probably hopped on a public
WiFi network in an airport, hotel, restau-
rant or café (If you are like me, I do this
every time I am at a McDonalds) to check
e-mail, browse Facebook or catch up on
work. We all know the risks in using pub-
licly accessible WiFi, but do you know just
how much information you’re making pub-
lic when you connect to these hotspots?
How much you expose depends on the
sophistication of those who are snooping
around. If someone is taking a quick look
at the network, they can identify the type
of device you are using (iPhone, MacBook,
PC, etc.). If a snooper wants further infor-
mation, it doesn’t take much effort, thanks
to many readily available software pro-
grams such as Firesheep and Wireshark.
If you have any publicly accessible files
(shared documents, music, photos, etc.),
all of this can be easily accessed by oth-
ers. However, cybercriminals have sophisti-
cated tools they can use to access far more
than your shared documents, including e-
mails, passwords to various sites and other
data and history on your device.
So what should you do when out and
about to get online? The best way to pro-
tect yourself is to have your own hotspot,
either through your smartphone or a mo-
bile router, such as a MiFi, or look for pub-
lic networks that are secured. Some es-
tablishments offer secured access. Ask for
the passkey or other login credentials and
make sure the hotspot you’re connecting
to IS the right one. Hackers OFTEN set up
hotspots with names very similar to legit-
imate ones in hopes of tricking you into
connecting to the wrong one by accident.
If you don’t have access to a personal MiFi
or secured connection, then make sure you
select “Public Network” when connect-
ing with a Windows device (not a Home
or Work Network). This will lock down the
connection to make sure Windows isn’t
sharing any files or sensitive data with oth-
er machines on the network.
And finally, never shop online, enter a
credit card or access financial web sites
(your bank) on a public WiFi. Although
most financial institutions’ encryption
should protect you, why risk it? Wait until
you’re on a secured connection before typ-
ing in usernames and passwords.
Battle of Wits!
Last contest, Andy Mikell outwitted us all with his “beyond the pail” cow-milking caption.
Bring forth your truly dizzying intellect and join the battle of wits! Montpelier cartoon artist
(and lawyer) Kathy Fechter has once again graciously provided us the above cartoon for
our fierce competition. Submit your proposed caption to the above pancake vs. waffle
cartoon to [email protected]. The deadline to submit your caption is May 1, 2017.
www.vtbar.org
THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • SPRING 2017
19