Public Wi-Fi networks in places like airports or cafés is convenient, but they are not very safe. Most people do not realize that these networks don't usually have strong security and because of that, attackers can use methods like Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks. One common method of MITM attacks is called ARP spoofing. In this method, a hacker tricks your device into sending data through their system instead of the real network. This usually happens in the background and the users don't notice anything suspicous. As a result, important and personal information can be exposed and stolen without the user knowing. In this paper, I am proposind WiFiShield, a lightweight system or rather an application designed to detect such vulnerabilities in real time. Instead of being a heavy security suite, the application or system runs quietly in the background, sniffing network packets and double-checking the ARP table for any sudden, suspicious changes or spikes in the ARP requests. If the system sees a gateway address \\\"flapping\\\" or changing unexpectedly, it assigns a risk score and alerts the user immediately. I am aiming to make WiFiShield highly effective at spotting these hijacks without slowing down the computer. The application should be a simple, low-power solution for anyone who needs to stay connected on the go without leaving their personal data wide open to hackers.
Jasrotia et al. (2026) studied this question.