ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Evil twin

Okay kiddo, imagine that you have a best friend who looks just like you, talks like you, and tries to be just like you in every way. But this friend is not really your friend, they are a trickster who wants to do bad things. That friend is what we call an "evil twin".

Now let me explain a little more. Evil twin is a term we use in the world of technology. It refers to a Wi-Fi network that looks exactly like the one you normally connect to, but it's not. It's a trickster network created by a bad person who wants to steal your private information like passwords, credit-card details, or any other sensitive data.

You see, when you connect to a Wi-Fi network, you send and receive information through that network. But if you accidentally connect to the evil twin Wi-Fi network, your information goes straight to the bad person who created the network, instead of where you intend it to go.

It's like you are sending a letter to your friend, but instead of reaching them, the letter goes to a thief who wants to steal the money you put in the letter. That's why we call it an "evil twin". It copies and mimics your original Wi-Fi network, but its intentions are not good.

So next time, make sure you check the name of the Wi-Fi network before you connect. If it's your normal one, go ahead and connect. But if it's a strange one that looks similar to your network, beware. It might be the evil twin!