Be Aware: Sniffing your Wi-Fi data may be legal

Did you know using an unprotected or unencrypted Wi-Fi connection may harm your online security and privacy without any legal options available to you? Snoopers may monitor and track your internet activities while being within the limits of the anti-wiretap law.

Kevin Bankston of Center for Democracy & Technology in a recent session at Defcon stated that the prevailing law does not make it clear whether interception of unencrypted Wi-Fi is legal or illegal. He attributed this to the varying interpretations of the law and to the lack of court precedent. The law prohibits exhuming of the content of communications unless the content is promptly accessible to the general public.

The definition of ‘accessible to the general public’ might not cover the unencrypted radio communication, he added. That means a company, or even a public Wi-Fi provider, logging all your Wi-Fi activity and data may be protected under law in doing so.

Due to unclear cyber laws and increasing online data frauds, the need for an impenetrable internet security solution is strong.

3 tips to protect yourself:

You can start protecting yourself when you go online, anywhere, very easily though. Try these 3 tips to see what you can do:

1. Connect to secure Wi-Fi’s. Believe it or not, a simple password protected Wi-Fi access that you’re aware of offers more protection than a public Wi-Fi that anyone can connect to. If your area or places that you frequently go to offer a premium subscription, it’s better to go with those subscriptions to reduce the number of people on the same network.
2. Get a good VPN. You know the drill: a reliable VPN service helps you secure your data and browse the internet in complete privacy and with enhanced security. The advantage of using a Virtual Private Network or VPN is that it supports encrypted network traffic and thus secures all the data that you send or receive over a Wi-Fi connection. You can connect to any Wi-Fi while keeping your VPN active, and you should be fully secured.
3. Be aware of what’s happening on your devices. If you install an app, make sure you have a good Anti-Virus like Comodo that monitors all application’s activities. If you have sensitive data, encrypt it with something like TrueCrypt. You don’t have to be paranoid: you simply need to be aware of what’s already happening on your computer.

Be Happily Aware! :)

Laws are followed by subsequent flaws that creep in when the technology rapidly moves from one level to another in a short span of time. You cannot remain solely dependent on the law for the security and privacy of your online activities. Instead, you should secure yourself using any of the many free options available online.

Make it a fun project. Find out which VPN you love (Hotspot Shield of course! :D), which Antivirus software works and looks great, and which password manager (I prefer LastPass) you trust and for which reasons.