Schumer: WiFi Provides "Smorgasboard" For Hackers

Is your local Starbucks a hotbed of criminal activity? Senator Chuck Schumer sent letters to websites like Twitter and Yahoo to switch their websites from standard HTTP protocol to the secure HTTPS protocol, because hackers have it way too easy finding your information off the WiFi networks in coffee shops and bookstores. He said in a statement, "It is scary how easy it is. Free WiFi networks provide hackers, identity thieves and spammers alike with a smorgasbord of opportunities to steal private user information like passwords, usernames, and credit card information." Otherwise, they'd just come to steal your stuff in person after finding out where you checked in on Facebook.

Schumer notes that programs like Firesheep allow people with almost no programming experience to hack into computers. Even Senators! To demonstrate, he brought reporters to Birch Coffee and had a staffer "hack" into the Twitter account of a colleague whose laptop was also connected to the shop's WiFi. Schumer said, "The bottom line is, if we let this proliferate, everyone is going to pay the price. It could become the leading cause of identity theft." Maybe just watch out for any Schumer staffers the next time you take your laptop for coffee.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on February 28, 2011 4:14 PM

Comments [rss]

blink667

Senator Schumer thinks there are too many bubbles in your can of soda and he's not going to take it anymore.

Robin Sage

I think Chuck Schumer should focus on what he knows best, which is politics. WiFi Spots are only a small concern. Maybe awareness training would be more helpful. We can start off with the NYC.GOV site.

http://rcda.nyc.gov/search.asp...

once they fix nyc.gov they can goto the senate.gov site which have been vulnerable since 2008.

http://xssed.com/archive/autho...

Chuck, focus on government security before corporate security!

Cmdrogogov2

ACTA, COICA... schumer get the fuck outta my internet.

chuck schumer is an infamous pro-hollywood schill whose name regularly appears on anti-internet legislation. He appears to take efforts to lock the internet down into a collection of dumb content delivery services very, very seriously.

the man is an ideological relic and has no business representing a 21st century world-class city.

Mike Isler

So basically he read an article in the NYT last week on WiFi hacking ( http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02... ) and got his panties all in a wad?

Cheng-Jih Chen

"got his panties all in a wad" = "saw an opportunity to grand stand on some current issue".

schmeep

I think Schumer needs to work on more issues that affect all of us- the most pressing is how some pizza places charge full price for 1/2 a pie of toppings! I'm talking to you, Patsy's!

chuzzlewit

that's so weird 'cause i got an email from him this morning and he's run into a little trouble in London on an impromptu vacation, he's okay (shaken up, natch) - just needed some cash.