Police target the hacker next door

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brian Randell <Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk>
Date: April 18, 2007 7:05:09 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Police target the hacker next door

Hi Dave:

This story has just broken here in the UK - first time I've heard of  
anyone being prosecuted for taping into an unprotected hotspot.

Cheers

Brian


> Police target the hacker next door
>
> Lee Glendinning
> Wednesday April 18, 2007
> The Guardian
>
> They hunch over laptops in their cars on neighbourhood streets,  
> tapping into other people's wireless broadband connections for some  
> free time online, and are fast becoming criminals of the internet age.
>
> Wi-Fi theft leaves no fingerprints and keeps its distance, but  
> thousands are at risk because they don't adequately password  
> protect their wireless accounts.
>
> Using the strong broadband signal of the neighbours may seem  
> relatively harmless but it can now result in a criminal record.
>
> In the past month two people have been arrested for using other  
> people's wireless connections without permission in Worcestershire,  
> in what are believed to be among the first cases of their kind. A  
> man was spotted by residents using a laptop while parked in his car  
> outside a house in Redditch. In an unconnected incident, a 29-year- 
> old woman was arrested following a similar incident, also in  
> Redditch, earlier in the month.
>
> They received a caution for dishonestly obtaining electronic  
> communication services with intent to avoid payment. . .
>
> Full story at:
>
> http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2059773,00.html

--
School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell () ncl ac uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/


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