The Australian Federal Police have arrested a 42-year-old Australian resident who allegedly established a network of fake free Wi-Fi access points in airports.
Dubbed 'evil twin' Wi-Fi devices, the access points were installed at multiple locations and mimicked legitimate networks to capture personal data from unsuspecting victims who mistakenly connected to them.
Those details were then allegedly saved to the man's devices.
The email and password details harvested could be used to access more personal information, including a victim's online communications, stored images and videos or bank details.
He faced nine charges for alleged cybercrime offenses.
In a public statement published on June 28, the AFP said it launched an investigation in April 2024 after an airline reported concerns about a suspicious Wi-Fi network identified by its employees during a domestic flight.
AFP investigators searched the man's baggage when he returned to Perth Airport on a domestic flight on April 19 and seized a portable wireless access device, a laptop and a mobile phone from his hand luggage.
They also searched his home in Palmyra, Western Australia.
The AFP's Western Command Cybercrime Operations Team analyzed data and devices seized from the man and identified fraudulent Wi-Fi pages at airports in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide, on domestic flights and at locations linked to the man's previous employment.
They also found dozens of personal credentials belonging to other people on the man's devices.
The man was arrested and charged on May 8 during a second search at his Palmyra home.
AFP Western Command Cybercrime Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said the case was a timely warning to be cautious about logging on to any public Wi-Fi networks.
This Cyber News was published on www.infosecurity-magazine.com. Publication date: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 10:05:06 +0000