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1. The Threat May come in a variety of forms, including someone just looking over your shoulder whilst you are accessing the Internet at the airport or train station.

2. Vulnerability Is that such mishaps can happen to all of us. Nonetheless, it is necessary to be prepared and to reduce the risk for such a possible disaster by making one's notebook 'hotspotworthy.'

3. Impact Is severe, since a person might get access to the email you send/receive or even to your directories on your hard-drive, unless you follow the easy to implement tips as outlined below.

1. Most newer laptops have a button you can push that disables the built-in wireless feature until you hit that button again. Hence, this switch should be turned off whenever you are not using the wireless connection and, as importantly, when you shut down your computer. This increases security for your laptop AND reduces the drain on your battery. So this switch must remain turned off unless you want to connect to a hotspot right now, and we mean right now.
2. Change the setting on the computer's wireless card to connect only to "infrastructure networks" -- real wireless access points that actually allow you to surf the Web. To do this, go to:
   1. Click on Start, and go to
   2. Control Panel > Network Connections ==> then right click on the entry labeled
   3. Wireless Networks Connections and select "Properties" from the drop down menu,
   4. click on the "Wireless Networks" tab, and then on the "Advanced" tab at the lower right bottom of that window, thereafter
   5. a box should pop up that gives you three buttons to choose from: select the one next to "Access point (infrastructure) networks only",
3. 'Disable File and Printer sharing' and 'Client for Microsoft Networks' on your wireless adapter if you have them enabled. Unfortunately, not all public wireless hotspots use technology that prevents such wireless client-to-client communication. Accordingly, your drive(s) and folders could become accessible to other users and their computers using the same hotspot. To safeguard against this threat do as follows:
   • follow points 1-3 as outlined above, therafter
   • click on the "General" tab, and then
   • unmark "Client for Microsoft Networks" and "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks."
   The above might require that you turn printer sharing and client for Microsoft Networks on again when going back to the office (e.g., to connect to the network or for using networked printers).
4. Sign up for wireless service from home or the office. This is more secure for creating a login and supplying personal information as required by the hotspot provider. Please, refrain from using the sign-up page when you are on-the-road trying to connect to a particular hotspot - this is not secure.