EXAMINING THE RISKS OF INSECURE PUBLIC WI-FI NETWORKS

Abstract

One of the most globally-accepted and experienced technological upgrades today is wireless Internet connections facilitated by Wi-Fi. However, like nearly any technological feature of the 21st century, there are significant security issues that must be addressed in terms of privacy and protection of data distributed over a Wi-Fi network, especially when that network is public and lacks a legitimate, secure connection. The vast majority of Internet users are unaware of the risks they face when using an insecure public Wi-Fi connection. One common breach of information occurs when malicious individuals who create “evil twin” networks to mislead users to divulge information. These attacks occur over a network that users believe is secured by legitimate sources, like their neighborhood Starbucks or the airports and hotels they visit. Evil Twin attacks can be used to obtain all of the information shared over a network by a user, such as login credentials on websites. This project is intended to study Evil Twin attacks, the behaviors and decisions that increase an individual’s risk of being the target of an attack, and the subsequent dangers a victim is vulnerable to once they fall prey to the attack.