With the ever increasing popularity of wireless internet connections, individuals are now often connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks to surf the net instead of paying for their own accounts. Although jumping on somebody else connection doesn’t seem like the crime of the century, the consequences can be very serious. When you connect to somebody else account, you automatically open up your PC or laptop and your personal information stored on it. This could actually be what the identity thief wants you to do!

The Wi-Fi account holder could be intentionally allowing you access to his/her wireless connection so that they can harvest data direct from your computer. By setting up a proxy server and using it to capture your information. This may sounds quite technical and involved, but to a hacker this is an easy way they can steal all kinds of private details such as bank account logins, passwords and browsing habits.

On the other hand, there is also a danger for the account holder. Perhaps the Wi-Fi account holder has simply forgot to password protect his network, or doesn’t feel it’s necessary? This is a bad move. In this situation a hacker may piggyback the connection and commit illegal activities such as download music and movies, view banned sites or hack into secure accounts. By law, the account holder will be liable for any infringement or crime as it will be traced to them and not to the hacker!

Additionally allowing others to connect to your account is a very risky move as hackers finding your unsecured network will be