RE: Warchalking is theft, says Nokia

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: Pete Lindstrom <plindstrom () hurwitz com>

Hmmm, not sure if "due care" is a legal term or not, nor whether it
applies to criminal activity.. It seems to me that "due care" can
easily fly in the face of personal freedom.

I would argue that I have every right to hang an ethernet cable out my
window on my property and not expect someone else to tap in, just like
I would argue I should be able to leave my keys in the ignition
without having my car stolen, women should be able to wear thongs at
the beach without risking a pinch, I should be allowed to let certain
people use my bike but not others, and I should be able to write
run-on sentences if I want to (;-)). As long as I am not infringing on
someone else's rights or creating a dangerous situation, etc., why
shouldn't I be allowed to?

Now, does that make me smart? well, no. Naive? Probably (or more
likely just plain dumb), but sometimes I'd just rather assume the best
in people and long for the days when people weren't always looking to
take advantage of one another (wipe those smirks off your faces). What
I do know is that it sure doesn't make me a 'villain,' it makes the
person who broke the law a criminal. Extenuating circumstances? heck,
I don't know.

Now, back to 'warchalking' - 99.9% of the world doesn't even know what
that means, let alone be able to exercise something that
security-conscious folk might call 'due care.' We still have people
sending money to Nigeria to reinstate whoever-it-is to power and
recover millions, for crying out loud.

I do happen to believe that saying "painting a target" equals theft
goes way overboard, but I am absolutely in the other corner if/when
someone makes use of somebody else's wireless connection to their
advantage, without being invited or otherwise authorized. Sometimes
folks are willing to take the risk, especially when it appears to be
harmless enough (not saying that is the case here) - many of us are
constant speeders on the highway, but we have to understand the
downside as well, and pay our tickets if we get them (right?).

regards,

Pete


-----Original Message-----
From: InfoSec News [mailto:isn () c4i org]
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 2:50 AM
To: isn () attrition org
Subject: RE: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia 


Fowarded from: jsklein <jsklein () mindspring com>

This must be a marketing piece. Notice there are no names of Nokia
staff are and only one Nokia reference. They must be selling a new
product. Sounds like Mr. James Middleton has just reproduced a Nokia
company press releases and label it as News. And you wonder why we
don't trust the press :-).

Now let's address the real issues in this article, theft of services.
The theft is the result of companies are not practicing due care for
their wireless networks. And as always, it's easer to blame a "Hacker"
then take responsibility for your actions.

If I put an Ethernet cable out the windows and connect it to my
network. Someone uses the Ethernet cable and labels it as an Ethernet
cable. You are telling me that the villain the person who use my
Ethernet and labeled it. No, it is me, for being stupid enough to put
the Ethernet out the window.


Joe Klein

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-isn () attrition org [mailto:owner-isn () attrition org] On Behalf
Of InfoSec News
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 5:48 AM
To: isn () attrition org
Subject: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia 

http://www.vnunet.com/News/1135130

By James Middleton 
18-09-2002

Geek 'pioneers' slammed as bandwidth thieves

Warchalking, the technique of highlighting areas where wireless
networks can be accessed freely, has been blasted as theft. And the
practitioners of warchalking are being slammed as bandwidth thieves in
an advisory issued by mobile and wireless vendor Nokia.

Over the last few months, geeks have been drawing chalk symbols on
walls and pavements in cities to mark points where signals from nearby
office wireless networks can be tapped into to access the internet.

The initial hysteria was over security, when it emerged that
warchalkers may also be freely browsing corporate networks and
accessing private company information. Now Nokia has raised the
stakes.

"Data privacy is at stake, and so is data integrity," the firm said.  
"But the little-talked-about issue of bandwidth-robbing by these
warchalkers should not be ignored.

"While the warchalkers maintain they are not trying to hack networks,
they are using a resource which they haven't paid for."

[...]



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