WiFi is growing in popularity. Coffee shops and public spaces are now allowing you to get on the internet for free, but a hacker could be watching everything your doing.
Public wireless internet connections make it easy to stay connected while on the go.
WiFi hotspots are everywhere - at the airport, parks, libraries. It's convenient, but it can be dangerous.
Hackers now have the technology to steal your personal information.
Dareen Kitchen exposes hacking techniques. Using a laptop and a router, he created his own wi-fi hotspot at a cafe in San Jose, California. To people on their computers and smartphones, it looks like a safe network.
"I can see everything, I can see all of the emails, all of the instant messages, all of the web pages they go to, all of the passwords they type in," says Kitchen.
He's able to get a user name and password when someone logs in on Facebook, but there are greater dangers. Hackers could get hold of more sensitive information, like social security and credit card numbers.
Most WiFi hotspots are not encrypted. Encryption scrambles your information. Without it, hackers can easily break in to your virtual world. There are some easy ways to protect yourself from these internet thieves.
-Make sure you know the name of the WiFi hotspot you're connecting to.
-Avoid websites that require you to reveal any passwords or sensitive information.
- If you must use WiFi hotspots, experts say it's a good idea to purchase a VPN or virtual private network. That will encrypt your information and keep hackers from stealing what no one else should see.
