The latest downloadable extension for the browser Firefox makes it a doddle to hack into wi-fi connections.
Firesheep aims to takes the technical skill out of hijacking a Wi-Fi session, making it possible for strangers to rip into anything you are doing on public networks. Once installed, a person can hijack your Wi-Fi session, including the
ability to access Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, and Amazon accounts, among others.
Software developer Eric Butler says he created the app in order to show the masses how easy it is for their accounts to be hijacked over a Wi-Fi connection.Writing in his bog Butler said It’s extremely common for websites to protect your password by encrypting the initial login, but surprisingly uncommon for websites to encrypt everything else. This leaves the cookie (and the user) vulnerable. Butler has made the add-on openly available and very simple to download and use – so anyone with a Wi-Fi connection and a strong sense of curiosity can easily try it out.
Butler insists his motives are pure, that website security needs to acknowledge these holes and fix them to stop people like him exploiting them.
Latest downloadable extension for Firefox
Nick Farell
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