What Damage Can a Wireless Network Snoop Dish Out?


Wireless network snoops tend to be curious and not malicious. In fact, most people who access your Wi-Fi network are just looking to borrow an Internet connection, perhaps to check their email (see Figure 6.2).

Figure 6.2. You can be sitting at home surfing HotorNot.com and a stranger in a car outside can be accessing your network with his wireless laptop.


That said, there are still real dangers to leaving your Wi-Fi network unprotected because a network snoop can also do the following:

  • Use your Internet connection to anonymously download illicit material from adult content sites, including child pornography.

  • Use the connection to hack someone else's computer and perhaps steal data.

  • Use your network to send spam. This is handy for snoops because you'll get the blame for the spam, not the sender.

  • Install viruses or spyware onto your computer or network. This can also happen unintentionally. If the snoop's computer is infected, some malware looks for opportunities on nearby networked computers to infect them.

  • Steal credit card data, other banking access information, or personal information from you to use for criminal purposes.

  • Gain access to your company network via your home computer.




Absolute Beginners Guide To. Security, Spam, Spyware & Viruses
Absolute Beginners Guide to Security, Spam, Spyware & Viruses
ISBN: 0789734591
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 168

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