Kismet

As you setup your wireless access point you need to make sure it has encryption either it's WEP or WPA. My recommendation is WPA2 if you have that choice.
More likely wireless network don't have a password on it - over 80% of them don’t.

1. Using kismet the hacker watchs you check your email. Kismet records every packet you send on the network.
   
2. Kismet records the email server you connected to, and the login name and password you used to get your email.
   
3. The hacker lets Kismet collect wifi packets for several hours, usually during the peak times this wifi network is in use. If this is a nearby hotel the hacker collects packets through the evening, if it’s a cafe or sandwich shop the hacker collects packets during lunch.
   
4. The hacker goes back home and runs dsniff on the capture files that kismet created. Dsniff dumps out all the servers and name/password combinations that kismet collected that day.
   
5. The hacker gets your server and login name/password and sets up his email client to now download all your email into a special folder. You are completely unaware he’s doing any of this.
   
6. The hacker monitors your email for several weeks, taking note of all the emails you get from online stores. The hacker compiles a list of all the stores that send you emails.
   
7. After several weeks of silently collecting your emails and making a list of where you have shopped the hacker is now ready to strike.
   
8. The hacker goes to each of your stores and has your password reset. To do this all he has to do is enter your email address and click “forgot password”. The online stores quickly oblige him by sending a new password to your email, which the hacker is receiving. The hacker takes not of each of the new passwords and quickly deletes those emails from you email server so you never see them.
9. The hacker then returns to each of the stores with the new passwords and places orders.
10. The hacker has the items sent to a different address, usually an apartment complex where UPS/FedEx just knock on the door and drop the package off.
11. One thing about online stores these days. They don’t charge your card until the merchandise is ready to ship. The hacker will have the packages overnighted which means your card is charged and he receives the goods the very next day.
12. Most people will never be aware they’ve even been charged until it’s too late the hacker has long picked up the packages and can’t be caught.

Take note, all it took was the hacker gaining access to one thing. That’s how hackers work, they only need access to one thing, and from that they figure out how to gain access to other things. Another thing to note. The hacker never had to know your credit card numbers.

There are more complicated examples than this one, but this is certainly one of the easiest to understand.

Remember, everything you do on a wireless network can be seen by anyone else in the area, all it takes is one person deciding to record your activity and you can fall victim to identity theft very easily. So remember make sure there a lock when paying or ordering when on-line and remember if no one is on a wireless connection which means none of your clients, employees, or home users have a wireless card then, turn it off.