Wi-Fi tracker launched to catch dangerous connections

HackHunter chief executive Tracie Thompson said the device, HackHunter Pursuit, was designed to stop "man in the middle" or "evil twin" attacks, where hackers mimiced legitimate Wi-Fi networks to steal information from users.

"We want to make sure Wi-Fi is used for good [and] help organisations be aware of what Wi-Fi network is in their network environment, so they can make sure there are no rogue devices that can be used to hijack users," she said.

The device is designed for organisations, government and defence departments that have highly sensitive information. It can locate the source of an unauthorised Wi-Fi network to within centimetres, allowing for those devices to be found, disabled and removed.

HackHunter has received financial backing from the AustCyber Projects Fund, a $15 million three-year government initiative to support Australia's cyber security industry.

"Demand for cyber security products and services has dramatically increased in 2020, caused by the accelerated digitisation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic," AustCyber chief executive Michelle Price said.

"This is a significant economic opportunity for Australia's cyber security industry. Investing in sovereign companies like HackHunter and their innovative technologies helps to improve our nation's overall global competitiveness, as well as its cyber security."

For their efforts in the field, HackHunter won a prestigious Australian Information Security Association Award for Cyber Security Start-Up of the year on November 13 2020.

With hackers known to target cafes and hotels, Mrs Thompson warned general users against public Wi-Fi networks, and recommended deleting public connections from their devices.

"[Public Wi-Fi networks] can be used and they can be accessed by rogue actors easily," she said.