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Prevent Wi-Fi Eavesdroppers from Hijacking Your Accounts

Article is provided courtesy of Cisco Press.
Date: Sep 20, 2011.

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Article Description

Password sniffing and account hijacking have become more prevalent in recent years because of Wi-Fi and software that make these hacking techniques so easy. Eric Geier shows you how to protect your privacy when logging on to online accounts that don't always use secure connections, like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Amazon.

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Summary

The password sniffing and account hijacking techniques we discussed are possible only if the hacker or eavesdropper is on the same Wi-Fi network.

When using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks, use a VPN to secure your traffic. Private networks you use at home or work should be secured with WPA2 security in order to keep hackers off of the network. However, to prevent users on your private network from eavesdropping on each other, consider using a VPN connection, enabling an AP isolation feature, or using the Enterprise mode of WPA2 security.

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