evil twin

evil twin
 n.— «So how does an evil twin attack work? Let’s say that I’m a hacker. I set up my computer to transmit a signal that turns my PC into an access point, or Wi-Fi hotspot. I’ll even give it a legitimate-sounding name, like T-Mobile Hotspot, to fool unsuspecting surfers. Next, I put my laptop in a backpack and read a newspaper while sipping some java at the local coffee shop. All I have to do is wait for you to connect. (And if I’m looking to steal from you, I’ll require you to enter a credit card number to get access, just like T-Mobile does—then I’ll have your credit card information.) While you surf the Web, my computer redirects you to Web pages I have created that happen to look like the ones you visit on a daily basis.» —“Does Your Wi-Fi Hotspot Have an Evil Twin?” by Erin Biba PC World Mar. 15, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Join the discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

To Noodle with Your Noddle

To noodle meaning “to think on” is so-named because it from noddle, an old word for “head,” and not because a brain looks like a clump of pasta noodles. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “To Noodle with Your Noddle” Hi...