More arrests for pinching wireless

[madasahatter]

2 men arrested for unauthorised use of wireless network and a timely reminder:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/3420-two-arrested-for-using-home-owners-wireless-network.html

[Rik]

How do you use a timely reminder in an unauthorised manner?

[madasahatter]

I'm sure i could find a way if I really tried 

[Rik]

 

Perhaps we should hold a competition?

[Inactive]

It does beg the question, would your local Bobby know what was legal or not.

[Rik]

Probably not. Police are going to find this increasingly difficult to deal with as more people use 3G connections. There's likely to be a need for forensics to be involved, and the risk of lawsuits for wrongful arrest.

[somanyholes]

it would be been so simple for them to not get caught as well, using a mac spoofing program like the ones listed here

http://www.securityfocus.com/tools/4322
http://www.securityfocus.com/tools/4263
http://www.securityfocus.com/tools/3930

[Rik]

Assuming the police actually checked that far, of course...

[somanyholes]

guilty untill proven innocent does seem to be a popular stance at the moment

[Simon]

More fool the 'victim' for not using proper wireless security.   

[Rik]

Perhaps we are going to have to get written authority to use a laptop in a car, complete with iris scan and thumbprint.

[madasahatter]

More fool the 'victim' for not using proper wireless security.   

To be honest Simon, I completely disagree with the culture we have now where if you are a victim of crime it is almost considered to be your own fault because you didn't protect your house, car, wireless connection etc enough. You should not HAVE to go to the trouble, and quite often expense, of keeping wrongdoers out. I know that in the society we live in today this is not the case, but a crime is not the fault of the victim at all - it's completely the fault of the perpetrator of the crime - no one else.

[Inactive]

I agree with that MH.

[somanyholes]

Being naive is not an excuse imo, open wireless is just like having your door open, and how many people
do that these days? Not many because most people are only naive when it suits them.

[Rik]

Though most people probably find a door lock easier than setting up a router?

[Gary]

I did read of a guy who runs his system as an open network for friends in his block of flats who cannot afford internet, he has wireless isolation setup but he does it as he thinks its like a mini hotspot for them so, so if the police caught you using his I cannot see them believing you even though he does not care who uses it and im sure BT were thinking of a scheme where you could do the same to provide local wifi hotspots as well just to confuse matters

[Inactive]

Being naive is not an excuse imo, open wireless is just like having your door open, and how many people
do that these days? Not many because most people are only naive when it suits them.

Even " leaving the door open " should not mean that anyone can just walk in.

[Rik]

I did read of a guy who runs his system as an open network for friends in his block of flats who cannot afford internet, he has wireless isolation setup but he does it as he thinks its like a mini hotspot for them so, so if the police caught you using his I cannot see them believing you even though he does not care who uses it and im sure BT were thinking of a scheme where you could do the same to provide local wifi hotspots as well just to confuse matters

Technically, I suppose, he has granted rights to a specific group of people. (And probably breached his ISPs terms and conditions in the process!)

[Gary]

Even " leaving the door open " should not mean that anyone can just walk in.

That was a long time ago In, sadly I remember the days you could leave your door open and I'm only 42 and a half

[Gary]

Technically, I suppose, he has granted rights to a specific group of people. (And probably breached his ISPs terms and conditions in the process!)

Probably Rik, but BT wanted to introduce a scheme where they gave you a specific wifi router that would broadcast separately from your service to provide hotspots in rural areas I assume you then had to pay BT to use them, but they may have been free hotspots, I remember reading that people did not fancy the idea much though

[madasahatter]

Being naive is not an excuse imo, open wireless is just like having your door open, and how many people
do that these days? Not many because most people are only naive when it suits them.

Call it naivety if you like, but that doesn't alter the fact that the person pinching your wireless connection is the one in the wrong, not you. Yes, we all lock our doors and windows, pay out for burglar alarms etc, pay out for immobilisers and alarms on our cars, but my point was that if everyone could keep their sticky fingers to themselves, as they should, then we wouldn't have to.

I realise that this is perhaps a bit of an old fashioned view, but hey - I'm getting on a bit so I think I'm entitled 

[Inactive]

That was a long time ago In, sadly I remember the days you could leave your door open and I'm only 42 and a half

I know Gary, guess what, I never lock my front door, or my car in the village in Spain.

I do here tho'.

What I meant was, that if someone leaves their door open, they are still the " victim " if something should go wrong.

[Gary]

Call it naivety if you like, but that doesn't alter the fact that the person pinching your wireless connection is the one in the wrong, not you. Yes, we all lock our doors and windows, pay out for burglar alarms etc, pay out for immobilisers and alarms on our cars, but my point was that if everyone could keep their sticky fingers to themselves, as they should, then we wouldn't have to.

Sadly Mad everyone wants something for noting but the idea of driving about searching for unlocked wifi seems like a waste of time, I could think of better things, saying that if i do s scan with my phone the number of people with a ssid called Netgear  with no encryption is amazing

[Gary]

I know Gary, guess what, I never lock my front door, or my car in the village in Spain.

I do here tho'.

What I meant was, that if someone leaves their door open, they are still the " victim " if something should go wrong.

Thats true In, but god help you if you try to defend yourself to forcefully, the thief will have you in court otherwise

[Simon]

Call it naivety if you like, but that doesn't alter the fact that the person pinching your wireless connection is the one in the wrong, not you. Yes, we all lock our doors and windows, pay out for burglar alarms etc, pay out for immobilisers and alarms on our cars, but my point was that if everyone could keep their sticky fingers to themselves, as they should, then we wouldn't have to.

I'm not saying the 'victim' is in the wrong, or that the perpetrator is right pinching an unsecured wireless connection, but in the world we live in today, if it ain't nailed down, it's going to get nicked!  If you did go out, and leave your front door open, when you get burgled, and the insurance company find out you left your home unsecured, they would just say tough luck, mate!  Yes, the stealing of wireless bandwidth is wrong, and it shouldn't happen, but it does, and therefore, people need to take measures to prevent it.