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Are you sharing your most personal information
with everyone?
Wireless is a shared medium that is broadcast via radio waves.
This means that data transmitted by wireless users can be easily
captured, making sensitive information (such as social security
numbers and credit cards) transmitted wirelessly inherently insecure. |
It's important that you take additional steps to encrypt and protect
sensitive information that you send over a wireless network. And that
means anywhere you connect wirelessly; like in the UMC, at Starbucks,
at DIA or even home wireless networks. One way to protect yourself is
to use the campus's VPN (Virtual Private Network). A VPN provides a secure
encrypted tunnel from your computer to CU's network whether you are on
or off campus.
VPN software is available, at no cost, for download from ITS for Windows,
Mac and even Linux and Solaris machines.
In general, offers of "free" service from an unknown source
are often too good to be true. Be wary of connecting to unknown wireless
networks. Hackers do setup fake wireless networks (or "evil twin
hotspots") in an effort to capture the information you are sending
over wireless networks. Using that "Free Wireless" network
you see out there may actually come at a very high price.
If you have a wireless network at home it is important to secure that
network so that an attacker can not use your network for nefarious activities.
In 2006 a Denver woman was surprised when the police came to her house
after an attacker used her wireless network to carry out a crime. Use
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) to make sure only you can connect to your
network and that no one can eavesdrop on your wireless network. Click here to find
out more.
Get Help
IT Service Center
303-735-4357 (5-HELP)
security@colorado.edu |
