WiFi Takes Center Stage in Crime
In tonight's top story: Could you be arrested for having wireless networking in your home? Our crime beat team will cover this important development.
Wireless networking, like knives, guns and explosives, can be used in the commission of a crime. Therefore, wi-fi...bad.
Tech Dirt points out, "...there [are] a number of terrible things being done, and the use of open WiFi -- the least of the issues -- [gets] all the attention."
"In this first case, we had someone arrested for: (1) driving the wrong way down a one way street (2) driving without any pants on (3) using a laptop while driving (4) using that laptop to download child porn (5) which he accessed via a free WiFi connection.
"In another case, a scam was committed in Finland involving the financial firm GE Money: (1) the company's own head of data security (2) stole banking software from the company after which he (3) took confidential users passwords for its bank accounts. He then (4) stole money from GE Money's accounts by transferring it to a (5) secret account he had set up months earlier. Oh yeah, he did this last bit (6) via an open WiFi connection. In that second case, the case went to trial and the guy and three of his partners were convicted. What does the press cover? Four convicted in rare wireless fraud in Finland."
"The wireless part has almost nothing to do with the story. Even the account of the crime in the article focuses on the fact that they transferred money using WiFi and barely mentions the actual fraud."
News is a hard business, and with budget cuts, you can invision unwitting and underpaid news directors & producers now telling their equally unwitting and underpaid reporters to go get stories about how wi-fi is causing a crimewave in our cities and should be stopped -- and they do this because it seems like cutting edge reporting; consumers need to know.
That may seem goofy, but let's take it a step further anyway, because this will sound frighteningly familiar, if not bizarre.
Meanwhile, at the statehouse, a few prick politicians, who probably studied law, are being told by their advisors they "must speak out and legislate against open wi-fi hotspots, otherwise you'll be seen as soft on crime and be defeated in the upcoming elections". The new legislation will give criminal investigators new tools to snoop for -- and arrest -- hotspot owners in dramatic sting operations, which is naturally leaked to and reported by those same not-wit reporters. Those who are otherwise law abiding citizens are turned into a new class of criminal, further seperating people from their money and re-over-populating jails & prisons.
Wireless networking, like knives, guns and explosives, can be used in the commission of a crime. Therefore, wi-fi...bad.
Tech Dirt points out, "...there [are] a number of terrible things being done, and the use of open WiFi -- the least of the issues -- [gets] all the attention."
"In this first case, we had someone arrested for: (1) driving the wrong way down a one way street (2) driving without any pants on (3) using a laptop while driving (4) using that laptop to download child porn (5) which he accessed via a free WiFi connection.
"In another case, a scam was committed in Finland involving the financial firm GE Money: (1) the company's own head of data security (2) stole banking software from the company after which he (3) took confidential users passwords for its bank accounts. He then (4) stole money from GE Money's accounts by transferring it to a (5) secret account he had set up months earlier. Oh yeah, he did this last bit (6) via an open WiFi connection. In that second case, the case went to trial and the guy and three of his partners were convicted. What does the press cover? Four convicted in rare wireless fraud in Finland."
"The wireless part has almost nothing to do with the story. Even the account of the crime in the article focuses on the fact that they transferred money using WiFi and barely mentions the actual fraud."
News is a hard business, and with budget cuts, you can invision unwitting and underpaid news directors & producers now telling their equally unwitting and underpaid reporters to go get stories about how wi-fi is causing a crimewave in our cities and should be stopped -- and they do this because it seems like cutting edge reporting; consumers need to know.
That may seem goofy, but let's take it a step further anyway, because this will sound frighteningly familiar, if not bizarre.
Meanwhile, at the statehouse, a few prick politicians, who probably studied law, are being told by their advisors they "must speak out and legislate against open wi-fi hotspots, otherwise you'll be seen as soft on crime and be defeated in the upcoming elections". The new legislation will give criminal investigators new tools to snoop for -- and arrest -- hotspot owners in dramatic sting operations, which is naturally leaked to and reported by those same not-wit reporters. Those who are otherwise law abiding citizens are turned into a new class of criminal, further seperating people from their money and re-over-populating jails & prisons.
