How to protect yourself from Identity theft on vacation

Free Wi-Fi seems like a great feature, especially when you are on vacation or need to transmit information on the go. However, connecting to free Wi-Fi networks can put your private information at risk. In this segment I will be further divulging in the dangers of free Wi-Fi and what you can do to prevent identity theft and fraud.

There are more than 220,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots in the US. Through these networks, hackers can easily intercept information like your name, address and even credit card numbers. This is especially dangerous this time of the year as many people leave on vacation. 9 million people fall victim to identity theft every year. Public Wi-Fi is unsecured. When using free Wi-Fi take into consideration that everything you do is visible to anyone else using the same network. The chance of your personal information getting hacked far exceeds the chance of your home getting burglarized.

Many hackers will set up fake hot spots which look like legitimate Wi-Fi networks. Users are connecting to these networks are actually connecting to a â??rogue access point.â? Users are directed to legitimate-looking websites that asks for information such as credit card numbers. If you are prompted to reenter your username and password or if the web browser suddenly says the security certificate is invalid, you may be connected to a rogue access point.