Hacking Tools Are Easier to Use

The animation on this screen is an example of a hacker tool referred to as Sidejacking with Firesheep.

Most Web sites protect your username and password with a secure HTTPS connection. Unfortunately, many immediately drop back into unsecure HTTP once a visitor is signed in. The site then sends its cookie back over a now-insecure connection. Anybody snooping on your conversation can make a copy of the cookie and use it to interact with the Web site in precisely the same way you do.

A screen capture of the hacking tool Firesheep being used to connect to Ian Gallaher's facebook page.