By Kathryn Mills-Webb
While stories about the ‘theft’ of Wi-Fi access occasionally surface in the press, most home wireless users are still not aware of the potential consequences of allowing neighbours free access to their Wi-Fi connection. After all, most of us have probably accessed an unsecured wireless network at some point, and with monthly download limits now almost unbreakable for the average consumer, there seems little wrong with sharing the bandwidth.
However, if we carry on like this, more people could end up like the unfortunate Kenneth Haywood, a US expat in Mumbai questioned recently on charges of terrorism - someone had piggy-backed on his wireless network to send an email claiming responsibility for a bomb that killed more than 40 people.
This isn’t just scaremongering. As this example illustrates, vulnerable home Wi-Fi networks are increasingly the first port of call for hackers and various online ner-do-wells looking for an untraceable starting point to launch an attack from.
While the above is an extreme case and one that most Wi-Fi users are unlikely to face, the implication is that all users should ensure their networks are properly secured and not open for any freeloader in the vicinity to use.
While the Government and the EU seem keen to put an end to piracy and illegal file-sharing, they seem less keen to protect consumers from other activities that may be taking place in their name without their knowledge. ISPs may rightly point out that all computer users are given the option of protecting their wireless network when they set it up – but there perhaps needs to be a bigger driver to educate subscribers as to why this is a good idea and what might result if they don’t.
Of course, a further issue is that the WEP encryption usually offered to consumers is considered to be weak protection against wireless hacking, and that we should be being encouraged to use the more secure WPA protocol... but that’s another story.
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