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E-book InformationDo You Have An Evil Twin?
by:
Lynn Chan
What you don't cognize can hurt you. Next time you connect to one of them, be really observant you're connecting to a legitimate one and not an evil twin.
What is an evil twin?
They are fake Cyberspace gateways motility as a legitimate lan hotspots. Supposing you visit the local Cyberspace coffee bar who has a paid hotspot. You boot up your notebook computer, your lan connection code seeks out accessible networks and gives you an option of two (maybe more) networks you can get online with. One of them is from the Cyberspace cafe, but wait. You see one that says "Free Lan courtesy of Lan Hotspots Nation" or whatever. Everyone loves a deal, who do you get on with? If you chose the one from Lan Hotspots Nation, then you may have connected to the Cyberspace on the Evil Twin's network. Note Lan Hotspots Nation is a fictitious name I created but that is the irony. An evil twin commonly operates mistreatment a fictitious or deceptive name that's always changing. Since there is no authority governing the names of lan hotspots, there is obscurity
you go to check up on their legitimacy.
Wifi hotspots networks are like doors. In one place (hotspot) you can have many a doors. Through one door, you can enter a solid brick room and do what you like since no one is look you. Through another, you enter into a room with a two-way mirror wherever
being is look and recording your activity quietly without you knowing. Some
doors are marked in a way you think you're going to the same place but in reality you're not. One of them is actually an evil twin; A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Enough just about doors and sheep, what makes this mean to you? I think you're smart enough to numbers it out by now. By connecting to the evil twin, it's easy for the folk running it to capture any information you're entering onto websites or even as snoop about in your computer and private files. And patch they're there, why not drop several kind of malicious code that'll run in the background you'll ne'er
even as cognize was there. Who knows that they do.
Aren't these fake lan hotspots easy to detect?
If you're the owner of the legitimate lan hotspot, you can tell which network belongs to you or not but not to the average user because they aren't visible and it's really easy to setup lan hotspots. You and I can do it. There are no alerts and sadly, often the folk who activity at these hotspots aren't knowledgeable enough to warn you either. The person sitting next to you whom you think is doing activity online could be in operation an evil twin, or they could be one of those duped by one.
What do you do?
In an ideal world, don't connect to lan hotspots networks or don't get on a public lan at all. If you dead must get an Cyberspace fix, don't conduct online transactions like purchase
stuff, activity into your online bank or any place you'd be asked for sensitive information.
Next, disable all kinds of file or print sharing. If mistreatment WindowsXP in operation system, go to Start, Control Panel and then Network Connections. Right click on the Cyberspace connection or the Network connection and choice Properties. In the General tab, locate and uncheck File and Printer Sharing. Click apply.
If you set up your notebook computer to connect mechanically
whenever a network is found, you'd want to disable that or change it to instructions connection.
Make sure your firewall is turned on and any antivirus code is up to date.
As a nice practice, if you have any sensitive files or information on your computer, consider golf shot them into one or several dedicated folders and then securing those folders by fashioning them private. In WindowsXP, choice the folder in question, right click on it and choice properties. In the sharing tab, locate and check "Make this folder private".
These suggestions aren't fool proof but can help put staggering blocks in an offender's path. The better protection is still being knowlegeable just about lan hotspots networks and not to connect to a suspicious network. And if you're in doubt, don't connect at all.
Sidenote: Similarly, if your neighbour offers their lan network for you to use, do sure this is being whom you trust.
Just just about the author:
Lynn Chan simplifies computing and computer care issues for new notebook computer owners. Start protective
your investment, with a free tutorial accessible at http://www.notebook-computer-infocenter.com/5days-to-a-healthier-notebook.html
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