Hackers use an authorized SSID to trap mobile professionals into accessing the illegal access point and thus gaining access to information and data. The SSID used may be one that is for a hot spot operated by a legitimate vendor and you may come across hacker sites with these SSIDs posted.
This type of attack can occur when a mobile professional's laptop or PDA has been configured to automatically connect to an access point using an SSID such as Linksys or tmobile.
A mobile professional may not even be aware that they have connected to an unauthorized access point and the connection can be made without their knowledge.
Mobile professionals should disable their Wi-Fi software rather than leaving it on to automatically connect to any Wi-Fi signal. This is especially important if you are using a wired network connection and do not need to use wireless connectivity.