WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Travelers and laptops -they seem to go hand in hand these days, especially now that most airports offer wireless access to the internet.
The service is a lifeline for businessman Jeremy Shepherd.
"I use airport Wi-Fi at nearly every airport I go to. I'm able to do emails, check in for flights, basically business on the road."
But a new survey warns that it may not be business as usual. Airtight Networks, a wireless security firm, recently dispatched so-called white hat hackers to 20 U.S. airports. The mission: test the security of Wi-Fi system and the people who use them. The results: 97 percent of airport Wi-Fi users were vulnerable!
"We found people checking the stock market, you know, buying stocks; we saw people selling stuff; we saw bank accounts; we saw personal email information," said Rick Farina, of Airtight Networks.
Like all public Wi-Fi systems, airport Wi-Fi is unsecure, so that the public can access it hassle free. Farina says airports are natural targets for hackers - and if you don't add extra security measures, they can easily crack your connection. At our request, Farina tried to break into an email account we set up.
"It only takes a few seconds. This program sniffs the wireless in the air. You can see the captured email credentials, sending email," said Farina.
Once in your system, hackers can grab any passwords and files you use. Farina also warns he regularly finds access points run by hackers that have generic names like "free public Wi-Fi."
"You think 'oh great. I'm getting free Wi-Fi at the airport.' You shop online, you bid on things on eBay, you check your email -- all of that data goes right through me, my access point," said Farina.
Be aware that there are also fake Wi-Fi hotspots that look just like legitimate sites and are tough to detect. Dave Hagan is with boingo, which provides Wi-Fi to more than 50 U.S. airports. He says airport Wi-Fi systems are quite safe when travelers take certain steps.
"If you see something new pop up, be skeptical about it. Stick with name brands, companies that you've connected through in the past," said Hagan.
Experts also say it's critical that users take available precautions. Most networks offer extra security you can download for free.
"I always recommend if the hotspot offers some kind of security you should really try it out. This one offers a free VPN to download that will encrypt 100 percent of your traffic," said Farina.
A VPN is a virtual private network. Many businesses also use them.
"It will make a tunnel from your computer directly to your office network and all of that information will be encrypted," said Farina.
Farina also says it's important to look for symbols that indicate a legitimate Wi-Fi system, such as the antenna symbol. If you see a computer symbol instead, that's a red flag. Jeremy Shepherd never does sensitive business online and takes advantage of all security measures. So far, he's been problem free.
"I feel safe using Wi-Fi at airports simply because I'm aware of the issues, the security issues, and being aware of the issues is most of the battle," he said.
