它们似乎无处不在，而且它们的数量会在[下一个四年里增加四倍][1]。但是它们当中很多都是不值得信任的But many of them are untrustworthy, created just so your login credentials, to email or even more sensitive accounts, 都能被黑客用一款名叫“sniffers”的软件截获 — 这款软件能截获到任何你通过该连接提交的信息。The best defense against sniffing hackers is to use a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN keeps your private data protected because it encrypts what you input.
You might think that no one needs to be warned against banking online using free Wi-Fi, but cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab says that [more than 100 banks worldwide have lost $900 million][2] from cyberhacking, so it would seem that a lot of people are doing it. If you want to use the free Wi-Fi in a coffee shop because you’re confident it will be legitimate, confirm the exact network name with the barista. It’s pretty easy for [someone else in the shop with a router to set up an open connection][3] with a name that seems like it would be the name of the shop’s Wi-Fi.
A firewall is your first line of defense against malicious intruders. It’s meant to let good traffic through your computer on a network and keep hackers and malware out. You should turn it off only when your antivirus software has its own firewall.
Sad to say, [55% of the Web’s top 1 million sites don’t offer encryption][5]. An unencrypted website allows all data transmissions to be viewed by the prying eyes of hackers. Your browser will indicate when a site is secure (you’ll see a gray padlock with Mozilla Firefox, for example, and a green lock icon with Chrome). But even a secure website can’t protect you from sidejackers, who can steal the cookies from a website you visited, whether it’s a valid site or not, through a public network.
If you want to ensure that your own network is well protected, upgrade the firmware of your router. All you have to do is go to your router’s administration page to check. Normally, you can download the newest firmware right from the manufacturer’s site.
Needless to say, it is important to set up a password that is not too easy to guess, and change your connection’s default name. You can also filter your MAC address so your router will recognize only certain devices.
**Josh Althuser** is an open software advocate, Web architect and tech entrepreneur. Over the past 12 years, he has spent most of his time advocating for open-source software and managing teams and projects, as well as providing enterprise-level consultancy for Web applications and helping bring their products to the market. You may connect with him on [Twitter][6].
