The open wireless network at ASU makes it possible for hackers to access information from users who don’t take precautions, an official from the University Technology Office said Thursday.

The University offers special software to protect against hackers, but if users don’t take advantage of it, unauthorized viewers can track user information, Deputy University Technology Officer Max Davis-Johnson said.

“If you have proper equipment, you could technically capture wireless traffic,” or information about users that are on the network, Davis-Johnson said.

The Wi-Fi network at ASU is an open network, meaning that information sent from regular users isn’t encrypted. If a hacker has the equipment to monitor traffic, he or she may be able to see passwords and other information users want to keep private, Davis-Johnson said.

Scottsdale Community College student Jude Cross, 21, said he has successfully hacked into at least 15 to 20 Facebook accounts with relatively no difficulty.

“I’ve been at ASU and seen network [users] that are doing the same thing I’m doing,” he said, adding that he believes there are people hacking the ASU network almost all the time.

Cross, who got into hacking when he was about 11 years old, said when he’s on ASU’s network he can see the login information and passwords for up to 50 people in the course of one hour.

“The mindset of a hacker is to explore all possibilities within a technical realm,” he said.

Hackers commonly get information in one of two ways, Cross said.

They use phishing techniques — in the form of an e-mail — that lure people into giving their information. Cross said they also look on public Wi-Fi hotspots like those at ASU or coffee shops and monitor traffic.

Spanish and transborder Chicano and Latino studies junior Emma Hughes said she became more concerned about Internet security after she took a class about computer information systems.

“If you know anything about computers, it’s pretty easy to get into people’s information,” she said.

Hackers disguised as obscure banks and companies have tried phishing Hughes’ e-mail account, she said, but no one has ever successfully hacked into her e-mail or Facebook.

“I never put out my social security number on the Internet,” she said. “I don’t open any suspicious e-mails, but I could probably take more precautions.”

Davis-Johnson said a program called Virtual Private Network (VPN) is available for free to students and staff on MyASU. The program encrypts information sent from the user’s computer and makes it extremely difficult for hackers to monitor.

Students using Ethernet cords or VPN run a much lower risk of getting their information trafficked, Davis-Johnson said, adding that students can take other precautions to make sure their information is secure.

“Typically, a lot of password hacks are what are called brute force attacks, where people enter a password until they get the right one,” he said. Students can protect themselves by changing their password often and adding both letters and numbers

The University Technology Office hasn’t received any major reports this semester of students’ accounts being hacked, Davis-Johnson said.

“Certainly accounts get compromised but a lot of times it’s because people share their password or they use a common name,” he said.

Every year, UTO runs a campaign called “Get Protected,” which spreads awareness about Internet security to students.

For more information about campus Internet security, visit getprotected.asu.edu.

Reach the reporter at ndgilber@asu.edu.