Sophos, an IT security and control firm, reports that “about 54% of computer users have admitted breaking the law, by using someone else’s wireless internet access without permission.” It’s the end of civilization.
But wait. How do these users know they are using it
People are generous and want to share their connections with others. I guess if everyone adopted the same spirit of generosity, companies like Sophos would be out of business. This is a totally self-serving, false-alarm piece of “research” from Sophos.
There’s more. The article says “the research revealed that Internet users piggyback onto the internet without payment, through unsecured Wi-Fi connections.” Yes, we’ve been doing this for years, using the Internet connections of people who are willing to share, without paying them.
I’m not saying that the report’s methods aren’t wrong or that Sophos isn’t scaremongering and, yes, there are people that share their connections. (Although this is often in violation of their terms of service.) The fact of the matter is that there are a large number of people that don’t know anything about wireless security who are setting up open networks because that’s the easiest way to do it.
These poor saps get abused by people who feel that they can use a network just because it is open. You say:
“In a lot of places, people leave their access points open, on purpose, to share their connections with neighbors and passers-by. The owners aren’t home all the time, so you can’t knock on the door, and asked, “could I use your Wi-Fi?” and in any event, you wouldn’t know which house the signal was coming from.”
You make a very bold assumption that because the network is open, it is free for use. That is very much like saying that if you find someone’s door unlocked, you can let yourself in and watch their TV or use their phone. Simple politeness says that you ask first. If you don’t know who to ask or they tell you “No”, then common decency says that you don’t use the network.
Also, these people are openning themselves for all sorts of legal trouble, not for sharing their connection, but for the actions of the people that use it (with or without the owner’s knowledge). The network owner is liable (since they are not an ISP (under US law)) for anything accessed through their connection. I’m sure Granny would feel really happy about sharing her link when the FBI raids her house because someone was using her network to serve/access child porn (to use a really inflamitory example).
I have a lot of respect for you Esme and the work you’ve done in promoting Municipal Wireless but you are promoting a very dangerous attitude when you say, basically, “If the network is open, you are free to use it.”
Actually yes, I am promoting the use of open Wi-Fi. The more the better. There are a lot of us out there running around with Wi-Fi enabled phones like the iPhone and also devices like the iPod Touch and Nintendo DS. I share my connection at home via FON. I don’t think this is dangerous. I think it’s the way of the future. I think it destroys the old telco bill-them-for-every-billing-moment model, a devious, dishonest way to make money (which is in its death throes thanks to people like us who share our connections and press for open access). Long live open Wi-Fi, open access, net neutrality and structural separation!!!
There’s a ring of truth to this post, and Randy have a point to, specially on his comment that “there are a large number of people that don’t know anything about wireless security who are setting up open networks because that’s the easiest way to do it.”
Besides some business establishment use the free wi-fi as their Value Added services, like in a resto-bar. However, I have seen one particular resto-bar here in our place (pls don’t ask me where heheh) that uses this and used the 5-foot pole antenna! Geez! and his resto-bar is no bigger than 60 sqr-foot room. heheh.
So I suppose that both of you are correct. Some people like to share, and there are some who just don’t care, and others simply don’t know how to secure their access point.
Well who doesn’t like a free connection? One problem with open Wi-Fi though are those who abuse the situation. I don’t mean those who just use the free connection but those who does something more malicious than that. You know what I mean.
Just to clarify, I have no problem with people sharing their connection if they want to (and are allowed to by their terms of service). More power too them. Free and easy access to broadband is a good thing.
My concern is the attitude of people who think that, just because a network is open, the owner wants to share it with others. Because of the problems I pointed out above, there are networks around where the owner has no knowledge that they have an open network and has no desire to share their network with anyone else. (They don’t know any better. More education in this area would be a good thing.) A user has no right to use a network, open or otherwise, without the network owner’s permission.
I have no problem with someone getting on a network that’s a hotspot for a coffee shop, a muni network, Esme’s WiFi, etc. because they have said, in a nutshell, “Welcome. This is my network opened for you. Download in remembrance of me.” Getting on some random network _without permission_ because a user didn’t secure it is impolite at best and illegal at worst. “Without permission” is the important phrase and the one that I think is being overlooked.
If its open, permission is implied, if you’re too stupid to understand basic concepts, don’t own a computer, leave them to the intelligent.
I read this with great envy because for most of us in the rest of the world, the idea of shared internet or open wifi is a dream. We pay over $100 a month for our 4 mbps ADSL connection and then we have to buy bandwidth over that connection at $10 per Gig. So the idea of leaving your wireless connection open and unsecured is madness!
I guess if the market forced you to be secure it would be a whole different ball game. But where your internet is dirt cheap or free you can afford to live with excesses like this!
at least we have ADSL (when it works)!
Bottom line. Secure your network if you don’t want everyone else on it.