Not too long ago, a Mom Mastermind member was so excited to share she suddenly has wireless connection on her laptop. It was something she’s been trying to set up for a while and never worked and suddenly, voila there it was so she was quite delighted to be working outside her home so to speak.

Nothing makes me more happy than others enjoying technology and when things go right, I’m really happy for them. Only… sometimes technology has it’s dark sides and I would really hate myself if I didn’t share my knowledge and a friend falls into a trap that puts her data and identity at risk.

You see, wireless networks aren’t always who you think it is. It’s a common trick called the evil twin and popular in public places like Internet Cafes or any other public wifi hot spots. You have the legitimate network and the other is a fake. The fake network origins from anyone who is in the vicinity. All the equipment for this person to create this Internet connection, can be carried in a backpack, so it could be the guy or gal sitting next to you or even in the vehicle by the curb.

An unsuspecting Internet user (like us) would come to the hotspot, their computer serves up a choice of connections available. For simplicity’s sake let’s say two. One is the cafe’s (the legitimate one) and one is the fake one. Both will take you to the Internet but the fake one – called the evil twin, will not only give you access but log all your Internet activity. If your data is not sufficiently protected, they could even access your computer files.

Many times evil twin operators will use enticing network names like “XYZ cafe’s Free Internet Promo” if the cafe charges for Internet. Or, they would use a misspelling that would fool the eye of someone who’s too busy to notice.

So how do you know if you’re connecting to an evil twin? That’s the problem, you can’t. Especially when cafe employees aren’t very knowledgeable about these things and the owners do not make an effort to educate you. My personal philosophy is to stay away from public wifi networks.

What about my friend who lived in a rural area and who’s neighbor is miles and miles away from her? Whose network was she connected to? Well, since I don’t have all the details, I do not know. Usually it is very easy to recognize your own wireless network. I would recognize mine. The odds are 50-50.

Just be careful when you get online in any public area, do not log in to any site that you may have saved sensitive information, do not purchase anything online while on a public network, be alert at all times. And oh, do not open email attachments while online in public – but you already knew that 😉

Further reading: PC World

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