Data leakage might be a hot topic, given the list of high-profile incidents reported by businesses such as TJX Companies -- through which reams of detailed consumer records have been exposed -- but most people are already broadcasting enough information from their laptops to allow hackers to aim targeted attacks at their devices and corporate networks, according to security researchers.

In a presentation at the ongoing Black Hat DC 2007 conference being held in Washington, DC, from Feb. 28 to Mar. 1, experts with Atlanta-based services provider Errata Security outlined a trend they've labeled as "data seepage."

The concept is based on the idea that people using Wi-Fi systems to connect their computers to the Web in public settings such as airport lounges or coffee shops are handing out enough personal clues to give attackers plenty of ammunition to make them the target of their malware or hacks.

Using a software application they have designed dubbed Ferret, Errata chief executive Robert Graham and chief technology officer Dave Maynor demonstrated how easy it is to intercept seemingly innocuous information from people's devices as they connect to the Internet. They can then take that data to create a detailed profile of the individual, their Web usage, and even their employers' IT networks.

During the course of their presentation, the security experts were even able to use Ferret to intercept an e-mail sent to a reporter working in another conference session that included one of her applications' passwords.