WARNING: Be CAREFUL which networks you sign onto!

For those who have not been informed yet...
Please be careful which wireless connections you choose to connect with when away from your home and on you laptop. There are networks out there that have been setup to try and gather your confidential data from your computer. Reports have detailed that these networks can appear in close proximity to legitimate free wireless connections. Such that, if you are not careful you may choose their network rather than the business or free wifi network.

Businesses usually use their own name for the network name. So if you are going to Anna's tea house only connect to networks that mention Anna or something about tea. Avoid connecting to generic names such as ‘FREE wireless’ or manufacturer names. For instance, many wireless routers appear as linksys (the manufacturer of the router) do not connect to these networks unless you know for sure this is the network that is used by the business.

How do you know? When you order to sit down... ask what their network is named. Quick and simple, if they are not sure what the name is just look and see what is available if there isn't one that makes sense then you might want to move on to the next location. In addition, make sure you have a personal firewall running on your laptop to alert you of any suspicious activity.

* Picking a Cheap Laptop
** Be in the know on the fly!