Wireless hackers take to the air

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2202653.stm

Monday, 19 August, 2002

Australian hackers have taken the practice of looking for open
wireless networks to new heights.

Before now many curious hackers have taken to cars and bicycles to
look for wireless network nodes that are free for everyone to use or
are inadequately protected.

But the Australians have them all beaten by using a light aircraft to
fly over the city of Perth and look for the wireless nodes from 460
metres (1500 feet) up.

During their flight the group found up to 95 wireless nodes.

Sky-high net

To find the nodes the team, who are involved with the e3 wireless
weblog, used a handheld iPaq computer and a laptop fitted with
software that can spot wireless networks.

The four flew in a Grumman Tiger aircraft and followed a looping
flight path over the Australian city.

Wireless networks are popular in Perth. It has more than 400 nodes
operating within it.

Many companies and organisations are turning to wireless networks to
link computers together to replace some of the cables usually needed
to connect machines.

Some of the networks are being set up to let anyone get fast and cheap
net access and advertise their existence. Others can be found or used
because they are doing a poor job of securing them.

The group dubbed the practice of using a plane to find wireless nodes
"warstorming", a word made up of "wardriving" and "barnstorming".

In the early days of computer hacking many people programmed their
machines to dial through long lists of telephone numbers searching for
ones that answered with a data tone.

That practice became known as "wardialling". It has inspired several
other types of searching including "wardriving", which involves using
a car to look for wireless nodes, and "warwalking" which is done on
foot.



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