Wi-Fi piggybacking rife in the UK
/v3-uk/news/1959653/wi-fi-piggybacking-rife-uk
16 Nov 2007, Ian Williams , V3
Over half of UK internet users have admitted using other people's Wi-Fi networks to piggyback onto the internet.
A recent survey by security firm Sophos found that 54 per cent of respondents had used someone else's wireless internet access without permission.
Many internet-enabled homes fail properly to secure their wireless connection with passwords and encryption, allowing passers-by and neighbours to 'steal' their internet access.
Although most businesses have security measures in place to protect their Wi-Fi networks, Sophos warned that remote users working from home could prove a weak link in corporate defences.
"Stealing Wi-Fi internet access may feel like a victimless crime, but it deprives ISPs of revenue," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
"If you've hopped onto your next door neighbour's wireless broadband connection to illegally download movies and music from the web, chances are you are also slowing down their internet access and impacting on their download limit.
"For this reason, most ISPs put a clause in their contracts ordering users not to share access with neighbours. But this is very hard to enforce."
Sophos recommends that home owners and businesses set up their networks with security in mind, using strong encryption to prevent eavesdropping and the potential theft of usernames, passwords and other confidential information.
"If you are not encrypting your wireless communications it is easy for cyber-criminals to snoop on what you're doing, whether it's surfing the internet or remotely accessing work documents," warned Cluley.
"They may even be able to infect your computer with malware designed to commit identity theft. It is essential that your Wi-Fi connection is encrypted and that you have not chosen a password for your router which is easy to guess or crack.
"The problem is that a lot of Wi-Fi equipment is not properly configured when it comes out of the box, or is a headache to set-up."
A 39 year-old man was arrested in August on suspicion of stealing a Wi-Fi connection when he was found using a laptop outside a house in Chiswick in west London.
The first case of Wi-Fi theft in the UK to make it to court was in 2005 after an Ealing man was arrested for stealing Wi-Fi from a neighbour. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and fined £500.
Do you agree?
yet another victimless crime
Instead of focusing their attention on people who borrow their neighbour's bandwidth, the powers that be should concentrate on the modem/router manufacturers. I don't know of a single device that defaults to a WPA-encrypted initial install. Let's face it, most people who buy a wi-fi router, don't know or care how the thing works. They just want the functionality, and in return the manufacturers should be responsible enough to force the security issue at the initial install stage.
Posted by Tony Pritchard, 17 Nov 2007
this reminds me...
..of mp3, internet radio, streaming video, p2p and e publications. When technology is used to its fullest and the inflexible corporate giants fail to accommodate end users.
I find it hard to believe you can actually been given a criminal record to 'stealing' bandwidth.
I see no problem in this, i feel the internet should be a service free to anyone anyway.
Somebody who piggybacks onto an open or closed network is not going to damage it, its clearly not in their interest.
Stealing ISPs revenue? thats one way of looking at it, or over charging current users as they are not using what they pay for(is the latter way). ISPs are holding back a full service right now anyway.
If somebody leaves their wireless access open then i fail to see how any wrong doing has taken place as they are openly inviting wifi to join the network.
Posted by lordbarron, 16 Nov 2007
Getting what they deserve
Anyone daft enough to not protect their wi-fi deserves a drop in band width. They wouldn't dream of going out and leaving the front door wide open. Maybe ISP's should be sueing people who don't set up a password not people who take advantage of idiots
Posted by Jane, 16 Nov 2007
Stealing! - Nonsense - this is illogical
Those who host wi-fi systems within the vicinity of my home such that I can access the internet are trespassing on my premises - they are broadcasting into my territory without my permission.
Such broadcasting indicates an invitation....otherwise don't transmit on my premises.
The idea that anyone who uses such access to the internet is stealing is illogical.
Posted by Ian Harper, 16 Nov 2007
Uhh
So lordbarron
If you leave your door unlocked, then Im invited to come in to your house and eat your food and take what i want?. Or if you leave your keys in your car your inviting me to have the use of your car? yeah i think not.
Just because someone leaves a router unsecured,i bet it is because most don't know how to configure their connections as most routers are not beginner friendly . And since they are paying for their connections, and someone is using their connection without asking, that is stealing.
Posted by Mryetto, 17 Nov 2007
bah
What a load of rubbish. how does sharing an internet connection hurt an isp's profits.
Posted by Ben Sampson, 16 Nov 2007
mine's open - help yourself...
my connection is open - so is eveyone else's in the block - we consider it anti-social to block access - we are sharing !
actually for me the main driver for being open was that there seemed to be a significant push from somewhere to scare everyone into closing them -
Posted by Oli, 19 Nov 2007