As more Americans use wireless networks everywhere from coffee shops and airports to libraries, the FBI has begun warning that hackers are increasingly lurking nearby to steal identities and pilfer bank accounts through unsecured Wi-Fi systems.

Unlike wired systems, which use cables to transport info through the Web, Wi-Fi uses radio waves that industry leaders say are inherently more vulnerable.

And with an estimated 68,000 Wi-Fi “hot spots” in the United States now, and many more on their way, users are unaware that some of those sites, including entire cities and towns, might be unsecured.

While there are no exact numbers of individuals who might have fallen victim to such scams, the FBI is warning that data exchanged by those waves can be intercepted. And that means cyberthieves will be waiting to pounce.

“Make certain you’re connecting to the town and not a guy who happens to be in town,” Bryan Duchene, an FBI cybercrimes supervisor in Los Angeles,

said of towns offering free Wi-Fi service.

After setting up shop at or near Wi-Fi hot spots, criminals can access personal knowledge from users of unsecured servers who don’t have adequate safeguards on their computers.

Another ploy takes advantage of the fact that some laptops, by default, will log on to the strongest signal when searching for a wireless connection. For a laptop user sitting at Starbucks, that signal might belong to a legitimate-looking, but bogus, server operated by a hacker, Duchene said.

“If the poor guy happens to be sitting two tables by and he’s broadcasting a (stronger) signal, it’ll override what you’re trying to get to,” he said.

Once in, a hacker can steal passwords and credit-card data and install viruses, worms and other malicious software or malware on a computer that can spread to other systems you run.

Duchene recommends that Wi-Fi users change their settings so…

Orginal post by Top Tech News