MC2 Researcher Weighs In On Public Wi-Fi Vulnerabilities

network and wireless security

Published August 18, 2015

David Maimon, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice with an appointment in the Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2), recently discussed potential vulnerabilities in using public Wi-Fi networks for viewing sensitive information.

“The major hazard with public Wi-Fi is the fact that all the information you’re transferring between your computer and the computer that you’re accessing is available to everybody on the network,” Maimon said in an article published in Digital Trends.

Maimon is currently working with Jonathan Katz, director of MC2, on a National Science Foundation-funded project to study the physical and social factors that can affect wireless security.

The team is looking to develop innovative strategies, policies, and best practices for helping individuals safely and securely access public Wi-Fi networks.

MC2 is jointly supported by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the A. James Clark School of Engineering. It is one of 16 centers and labs in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.