Video shows how exposed your personal details are to cyber criminals. Tools so accessible school students can download systems and hack. Jetstar and Suzuki listed as being suspected of a major cyber breach. Hackers monitored Australian satellite company Newsat for two years. Australian government, defence department and other networks hacked.

In a worrying demonstration that is sure to frighten frequent Wi-Fi users, former infamous hacker Kevin Mitnick shows how easy it is to steal your details in a public area.

Kevin Mitnick was arrested in the US in 1995 for hacking into 40 major companies, including IBM, Nokia and Motorola, but is now working as a leading security consultant for some of the largest companies in the world.

Cyber criminals will set up a fake Wi-Fi network, the example he used is a common one, ‘Telstra Air’.

Once logged on the hacker can record all your keystrokes, which will identify your usernames and passwords if you access any personal information.

This allows the hacker to send you fake updates, and once installed, ‘We gain full control of his computer system and he will never know the better,’ he said.

Mr Mitnick said the tools on the internet are so accessible that school students can download hacking systems.

‘Fast forward to today, and you have tonnes of tools that a high school, a junior school [student] can download and exploit systems,’ he said.

Three steps outlining how hackers access your personal information

  1. Hackers set up a fake Wi-Fi network in a public space
  2. Once you are using a fake access point all your keystrokes are recorded, which can reveal your personal information if you have used any log-in details
  3. Hackers will steal your passwords and send you fake updates for the user to install. If installed, the hacker will have complete access to your system without you knowing