Feb 26, 2009 11:48 am US/Eastern
Hackers Test WiFi System Safety At U.S. Airports
BOSTON (CBS) ―
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Jamie Rector/Getty Images
Travelers and laptops - they seem to go hand in hand these days, particularly now that most airports offer free WiFi.
The service is a lifeline for businessmen like Jeremy Shepherd.
"I use airport WiFi at nearly every airport I go to," he said.
"I'm able to do email, check in for flights, basically business on the road."
But is it secure?
Airtight Networks, a wireless security firm, recently sent hackers to 20 U.S. airports to find out, reports CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston.
Their results: 97-percent of users were vulnerable.
Logan was not one of the airports they studied, but travelers need to be careful.
"We found people checking the stock market, you know, buying stocks," said Airtight's Rick Farina.
"We saw people selling stuff. We saw bank accounts," he added.
Farina says airport WiFi systems are designed to make them user-friendly.
But that can also mean they are hacker-friendly.
Farina says it's easy to break into an email account.
"It takes a few seconds. This program sniffs the wireless in the air. You can see the captured email credentials sending email," he said.
Once in your system, hackers can grab any passwords and files you use.
Dave Hagan is with
Boingo, a company which provides WiFi to more than 50 U.S. airports.
He says hackers can set up fake hotspots, giving them easy access to your personal information.
"I always recommend if the hotspot offers some kind of security, you should really try it out," he said.
Hagan also said look for symbols that indicate a legitimate WiFi system, such as the antenna symbol.
If you see a computer icon instead, that's a red flag.
Jeremy says he's very careful whenever he logs in at the airport.
"I feel safe using WiFi at airports simply because I'm aware of the issues, and being aware of the issues is most of the battle," he said.
The FCC acknowledges there are limits to security in airport WiFi systems.
The agency says never connect to your bank or any other private information.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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