Open WiFi Morals

OK here is my question. I have just moved into a flat at university and as soon as i turned my compter on i found several open WiFi Hot Spots.

I have read what Negative said about the the US law and using open WiFi connections but as i am a relatively nice person i would like to help these people out and get them secured more than they are now (the routers still have default user names and passwords). If i can get there IP and machine name am I breaking the law but sending them a message telling them there conenction is open? Is that effectively spamming them?

Cheers for any advice.

Why not speak to the admin directly about the security methods used and concerns rather than "breaking" the security (e.g., send a note to IT along with a CC to the Dean -- students have done it here at my school with success)? Perhaps put forward suggestions as to how to secure it more so that students and staff can feel somewhat confident that only those who are supposed to be using the wireless are using the wireless access.

As the others have said, breaking things more to show how broken they are tends to get you less respect and gets less done about the underlying problem that pointing out how clearly the thing is broken and delineating how it could be further broken and the resultant issues that puts forward.

the ones i can get into are not part of the uni but are in the street i live in (major student area) so there arnt any admins just "home" users. I dont even know which house the signals are coming from.

thanks for the quck reply

Ah.. In that case you might want to suggest something to the university: have a "how to protect yourself online" general user type course that includes wi-fi awareness. It sounds like students have setup wi-fi for themselves within the Residence area(s) and aren't locking them down. It might affect the University, particularly if the University is providing the base internet access (not the wi-fi but the hi-speed).

This kind of course can be something done during "Frosh" week by the IT dept or by "Frosh" leaders (provided they are trained accordingly). It might also be something that could be put into the handbook that every student gets.

OK.... I'm going to get some flack for this but I'm going to say it anyway..... :p

Use them, but don't abuse them.

Some here know my attitudes to user stupidity, (others may not). IMO, there is no excuse for buying technology without having a clue how to use it or secure it. Let's face it, you don't go out and buy a spanking new beamer without a clue as to how to use the locks now do you? Same applies if you ask me when you go out and buy the wireless AP because you are too lazy to run cable or can't be bothered to walk to the next room to play your games. Learn to lock the door.... how hard is that?

At the same time there is a difference between getting into the beamer and taking a quick nap when no-one is using it and driving off in it for a joyride, hence I say do not abuse it. Don't use their bandwidth to bulk out your pr0n/music collection. Do basic surfing, check your mail, maybe even play Counterstrike, (it's only about 10kbps usage), but be "reasonable". Do no harm and none should come to you.

One word of warning. Firewall _up_ before you connect and be aware that, in this particular environment, this may be a trap, (honeypot), and everything you do might be being monitored.

Let them know. Net send them, leave them a file in a noticable place on their computer. But dont exploit them.

Agreed. I have did the same thing, a simple text file on the desktop seemed to get the poitn across, a link to a website on securing their AP, and the next day no more access. Kind if makes you feel good helping out the helpless. Its like WiFi Charity.

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I have did the same thing, a simple text file on the desktop seemed to get the poitn across, a link to a website on securing their AP, and the next day no more access. Kind if makes you feel good helping out the helpless.

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Yes, until someone complains to their ISP and then you get charged with "trespassing".

As usual Ms. M. is dead right here.... You cross the line when you access any device down the pipe. None of them are there for you to use. OTOH, if the wireless frequency, SSID, the IP address etc. are given freely without "asking" then you are remaining behind that line. You step on the line when you look to see what devices are available....

Personally I agree with Tigershark on the use dont abuse. I have found a couple of hotspots locally that arent protected... well not REALLY protected (UName:Guest, PW:Guest or no log in at all) that I hit now and again. One of them is a local bank, but it only gives net access, no internet network stuff, so I am not really worried about it. (And I personally bank elsewhere.)

But I see no harm in surfing in my truck, while my wife is shopping.

I wouldnt try and break into a system, nor any secured network connection attached to it. But I seriously doubt that my surfing for an hour or so, around once every few weeks is causing anyone any trouble.

Funny thou, now that I think about it.... if I had a Cat5 jack on my front porch or mailbox, I wouldnt want people parked there plugging into it and surfing from my house.... hmmmm. It is an interesting question...

This is quite an interesting topic and is not limited to just pc use. Satalite television and radio transmition come into the subject also. Due to the limits or lack of control of signal footprints. Ie, people who are not meant to recieve a particular transmition in one area, often maybe able to recieve these broadcasts.

The same applies to wifi networks as it is very difficult to control the footprint of your network. It is not impossible, just difficult and costly. So the only real method of preventing access is encryption. The problem with this is anyone can have a wifi network, there is no controls in place. People are under no obligation to have any knowledge of the technology or the security of that technology.

Doing a google on "isp aup" gives the first hit: http://www.skypoint.com/AUP.php

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iv. Make all reasonable attempts to prevent unauthenticated or unauthorized access to private systems and services, and will not allow anonymous access or relaying of messages or mailings;

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So given that, at least this one isp's atittude is our users are responsible. (I suspect all isp's have something similar in place) and given that there is no requirement to have any knowledge as to how to achieve this. It would seem to suggest to me the buck should stop with the hardware manufacturers.

Just some thought.