The hottest places in Santa Monica, California? You might think some of the new restaurants or bars! However, the hottest places are the new library, the Third Street Promenade and Virginia Avenue Park. And Why? These “hot-zones” – zones or places that provide free Wifi access, are stirring up some new controversy.

Picture this. You are sitting outside, your feet up, sipping on a cup of latte, checking email. An email from your sister reminds you, “Your Mom’s birthday in 2 days.” With no time to shop, you jump online to order something. You hit “purchase.” And while you are at it, you figure, “Hey, I’m on a public WiFi– I’m living the wired life, sipping and surfing– why not check my bank’s site to get my account balance and check my email?” There’s an email from Paypal.com. Something is wrong with your account. To nip it in the bud you click on the link in the email and provide the requested credit card information (vs. going directly to Palpay.com site to review your account.) In this typical southern California wireless internet usage, you have typed in your credit card number, address, PIN codes, passwords, mother’s maiden name and may be even your social security number…

The answer to, “Why not check bank accounts, your email and order on line while at a public WiFi?” They are not secure. Now image an Evil Twin, pharming and keystroke logging. And no, even though your sister is better at remembering your mom’s birthday, and always points that out to you, does not make her your evil twin. An evil twin is a look-a-like, but false internet hot spot. And Pharming? A term is that describes cybermobsters trick you into giving them your data.

How? Malicious computer code steers you to the cyberthieves look-a-like sites (without you being able to tell.) And all the data you just entered? That’s where keystroke logging comes in. Via a special software (planted onto your computer via a virus, spam or pop-ups) records each keystroke you type—yes, your credit card number, yours mother’s maiden name, your social security card number…. And, what’s worse? It sends it to identity thief. How? The same software used by Marketers to study the surfing patterns on people on the internet, has repurposed by these thieves.

If this is the first you have heard about all of this, you are not alone. Harris Interactive’s survey on wireless internet security shows the majority of consumers (74%) are not concerned about protecting themselves at public WiFi hotspots. This is in part because as with any new technology, there is a technology jargon barrier. Terms that emanate from the technology world, used to describe how identity theft happens, like evil twins or pharming don’t mean much to the everyday person. Unless someone takes the time to explain the issues in everyday, regular people language.

Identity theft, a crime completely understood by geeks, is only recently recognized by FTC as a crime more lucrative than illegal drug trafficking. Cyberthieves have realized it is easier to steal your identity than hit you over the head and steal your purse or wallet. How lucrative? In 2004 the FBI took down a site, www.shadowcrew.com. It was an online trading bazaar, where the cyberthieves bought and sold other people’s data — social security numbers, passwords, credit card information… The FBI arrested a global crime ring of 28 cybermobster suspects that had amassed two terabytes of other people’s data.

What happens to those that have their identities stolen? Research shows that victims of identify theft spend up to 600 hours (15 weeks of fulltime work) and thousands of dollars cleaning up a mess they didn’t create. The real tragedy is years of emotional stress trying to clear their name, meanwhile they are denied loans for cars, homes or school because their credit rating has been destroyed. It is not a matter of just calling the credit card company and saying it was not you. You have to prove it- which starts with filing a police report.

So if you want to surf on a public WiFi, what can you do to protect yourself, here’s a place to start:

1. Update all your firewalls and anti-spyware programs. (www.Kaspersky software) Keystroke logging programs can be sent via spyware.
2. Use a non-key board process that encrypts your personal passwords and user names when logging into internet sites. (www.guardidsystems.com)
3. Invest in an information monitoring system that monitors and alerts you when there is something suspicious with your accounts. (www.intelius.com) and provides an identity theft recover insurance and recovery advocate.
4. Don’t click on links sent in emails that ask you to log onto a site and update sensitive information. Go directly to the internet and type in the website URL.

And for a free, detailed report on how to protect your finances from identity theft, please visit www.drnatthetechnocat.com

When you sign up for the free report, if you are interested in hearing more about the upcoming book or put your order in for Who’s In Your Wallet?: Your Guide to Protecting Your Family From Identity Theft… just add that in the dialogue box and you will be one of the first to know its available!
And until then.. keep safe!