Monthly Archives: October 2011

Wi-Fi radio connections to the Internet at home, the office, and even in your local coffee shop are no longer a futuristic novelty but a convenience that many users rely upon every day. With ease, however, may come a very unrealistic feeling of safety. As you might suspect, broadcasting your personal data through the air is not without hazards. Consequences can be quite serious, like having your computer directly accessed by hackers, with your confidential information, documents, and credit card numbers stolen, or it being used for other illegal activities for which you might be blamed. It does happen. Recently, a panicked customer called in. He had received several serious DMCA complaints and threats from a giant media company that claimed he had illegally downloaded their content – either music or movies – and they had the right Internet address. Yet, the man hadn’t done anything wrong except to use his Wi-Fi at home wide open and unsecured. Some unscrupulous neighbor must have profited from his naivety. The customer’s still waiting to see if the complaining company will take further steps against him, but meanwhile one of our techs set him up with strong WPA security to prevent further stealthy theft of his connection. Basic Home and Office Defense Proper set up is critical. Most of the steps to protect your computer should be implemented from the moment when you first set it up for Wi-Fi. While it’s impossible to … Continue reading →