The Safety Of Free WiFi Connection

The free wireless (WiFi) connections at the airport, hotel, or the local Starbucks are convenient, but not always safe for the user.

As wireless networks and "hot spots" for free wireless internet service become important, so does the likelihood of hackers "spoofing" wireless networks to take advantage of unsuspecting users.

Sending unencrypted information over any unfamiliar network can turn a user's laptop into an open book with pages full of personal information.

Security researchers advise using these tips to protect users including: using strong passwords and changing them frequently, install security software and keep it updated, set laptop's wireless connection manually, disable peer-to-peer (P2P) connections, and shut down or disable the wireless connection when working offline for extended periods of time.