Midland, TX - A warning today for Internet users after search giant Google admits it collected private data from people who were surfing the web on an unsecured wi-fi connection.
The company says cameras sent to retrieve street views for it's Google Earth maps intercepted wi-fi signals from people's homes and collected personal data, which is illegal in about 30 states.
Google says it was a mistake, but the incident highlights the fact that wi-fi connections can be risky.
Stealing personal information off a computer is as easy as driving up to a house, opening a laptop and logging in, and that's exactly what our hacker did, "And I'm logged into the router."
With just a few clicks of his mouse, our computer expert gains access to a homeowners Internet, and then he finds an email password.
"It will convert that encrypted password so we can use it and actually log into their mail with it."
Geek Squad employees say identity theft is on the rise, and Internet hacking is a big problem.
"You won't have any notification that your network has been hacked, it should be frightening to that person," said Best Buy Geek Squad Agent Steve Schwab.
Agent Schwab says even wi-fi hot spots, like coffee shops, are hotbeds for hackers if the Internet is un-secure. "Yes, someone could override that and access everybody's computer, while you're sitting next to that person not even knowing it."
And in a matter of seconds, your programs, pictures and documents are all at risk; "It's going to take them less than 15 seconds to access your network."
Like hacking into this homeowners Internet, our computer expert says was a simple task, "On a scale of one to five, one being the easiest, I give it a one."
CBS 7 did have permission from the homeowner to hack into their wi-fi for this story.
These experts say creating passwords is the best way to secure your wi-fi, and remember to always turn off file-sharing programs through your "my network" setting.
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