lap top user arrested

Straight off it sounds like a misdemeanor, but when you think about it.:rolleyes:

They could have been looking at anything.

If suspicion came back to the owner of the connection for looking at things he/she shouldn't have been looking at. It could have ruined his/her life.
 
absolutley, it is not stealing the connection that is the worry, it is what they are potentially doing with it that should be a cause for concern.
 
Hi,

This is one of those cases that does the police (and the government) no favours at all.

Okay - yes, the man using the Wi-Fi service probably shouldn't have been. Moreso if he was looking or downloading anything that contravened public law. And, yes, it was technically "theft" of bandwidth...

... But:
- no one was actually harmed
- the owner of the house would never have known about this individual using the Wi-Fi access
- providing that nothing illegal was viewed or downloaded, it's one of those instances when the guy should have been simply told to move on
- he could have been done for trespassing, I guess, but even then...
- if you own a Wi-Fi internet connection, you should secure it! If you don't then anyone could potentially put you in danger of doing some genuinely nasty acts.

Ultimately, though, what makes this laughable, is that London police are wasting time and public money taking this to a court, and yet kids are being shot and stabbed in their city left, right and centre, and getting away with it!

It just show how inept the police can be, and why people laugh at them, or have little respect or sympathy for them, when they punish a guy like this, for a so-called "crime".

This kind of thing, is NOT something the police should be wasting time on. Ten or fifteen years ago, if you were caught doing this, you would have simply been told to stop, and then move on, and get warned not to do it again. Jeez, it's not as if this guy was being a major terrorist, or shooting innocent civilians.

Talk about overreacting by the police. Sheesh! :rolleyes: Go out and catch some real criminals, you muppets! :lesson:


Pooch
 
I support the police

I will be damned if some cheeky # tries to steal my broadband that I am paying for :lesson:
 
I will be damned if some cheeky # tries to steal my broadband that I am paying for :lesson:
More so if someone was downloading something unpleasant and/or illegal for which you were arrested.

On the other hand, the more this happens the more it must undermine the likelihood of convicting people who really are doing that.
 
My thinking too. I have to pay for my broadband and the speed that's it at. If someone else uses the connection I'm getting less than I'm paying for. In the same way if I fill my car up and someone is siphoning off some of the fuel how can I be happy at that? The guy could obviously afford a car and a laptop why not a connection of his own?
 
Hi,

This is one of those cases that does the police (and the government) no favours at all.

Okay - yes, the man using the Wi-Fi service probably shouldn't have been. Moreso if he was looking or downloading anything that contravened public law. And, yes, it was technically "theft" of bandwidth...

... But:
- no one was actually harmed
- the owner of the house would never have known about this individual using the Wi-Fi access
- providing that nothing illegal was viewed or downloaded, it's one of those instances when the guy should have been simply told to move on
- he could have been done for trespassing, I guess, but even then...
- if you own a Wi-Fi internet connection, you should secure it! If you don't then anyone could potentially put you in danger of doing some genuinely nasty acts.

Ultimately, though, what makes this laughable, is that London police are wasting time and public money taking this to a court, and yet kids are being shot and stabbed in their city left, right and centre, and getting away with it!

It just show how inept the police can be, and why people laugh at them, or have little respect or sympathy for them, when they punish a guy like this, for a so-called "crime".

This kind of thing, is NOT something the police should be wasting time on. Ten or fifteen years ago, if you were caught doing this, you would have simply been told to stop, and then move on, and get warned not to do it again. Jeez, it's not as if this guy was being a major terrorist, or shooting innocent civilians.

Talk about overreacting by the police. Sheesh! :rolleyes: Go out and catch some real criminals, you muppets! :lesson:


Pooch

The man in question was reported to have been in the area on a few occasions. The police were only checking him out to see what he was up to. It just happens to be that he was using someones Wi-Fi Connection and got done for it.

If my Wi-Fi connection was not encrypted or even if someone hacked the encryption and download kiddie stuff. I would have a tough time proving that it wasn't me. That would be a nightmare.

Anybody could use your internet connection. They don't even need a laptop, it could be done with a mobile phone or even a PSP. He should have gotten a bigger fine or a month inside to put others of the idea of doing it.
 
Hi,

This is one of those cases that does the police (and the government) no favours at all.

Okay - yes, the man using the Wi-Fi service probably shouldn't have been. Moreso if he was looking or downloading anything that contravened public law. And, yes, it was technically "theft" of bandwidth...

... But:
- no one was actually harmed
- the owner of the house would never have known about this individual using the Wi-Fi access
- providing that nothing illegal was viewed or downloaded, it's one of those instances when the guy should have been simply told to move on
- he could have been done for trespassing, I guess, but even then...
- if you own a Wi-Fi internet connection, you should secure it! If you don't then anyone could potentially put you in danger of doing some genuinely nasty acts.

Ultimately, though, what makes this laughable, is that London police are wasting time and public money taking this to a court, and yet kids are being shot and stabbed in their city left, right and centre, and getting away with it!

It just show how inept the police can be, and why people laugh at them, or have little respect or sympathy for them, when they punish a guy like this, for a so-called "crime".

This kind of thing, is NOT something the police should be wasting time on. Ten or fifteen years ago, if you were caught doing this, you would have simply been told to stop, and then move on, and get warned not to do it again. Jeez, it's not as if this guy was being a major terrorist, or shooting innocent civilians.

Talk about overreacting by the police. Sheesh! :rolleyes: Go out and catch some real criminals, you muppets! :lesson:


Pooch

I store financial and personal information on my pc and have a wireless network, which is secured and does not broadcast. I have no neighbours close to me with wireless devices, but a few times I have seen unknown computers on my network, usually when using XBMC. My house backs on to a hotel car park and it is more than likely that it is businessmen using the hotel that are accessing or attempting to access my connection. I have been the victim of identity theft twice in the last year so it is hugely worrying for me.

Good on these cops for catching this boy at his work.
 
... But:
- no one was actually harmed
- the owner of the house would never have known about this individual using the Wi-Fi access
- providing that nothing illegal was viewed or downloaded, it's one of those instances when the guy should have been simply told to move on
- he could have been done for trespassing, I guess, but even then...
- if you own a Wi-Fi internet connection, you should secure it! If you don't then anyone could potentially put you in danger of doing some genuinely nasty acts.

Considering this post you made in another thread Pooch, i'm suprised at the section of the post quoted above.
 
I store financial and personal information on my pc and have a wireless network, which is secured and does not broadcast.
I'm now wondering about changing my network from closed to open and renaming it 'Police WiFi Abuse Entrapment System'.

Has anyone seen any particularly amusing wireless network names?
 
It is a bit like a kid using the stray light from my windows at night (THAT I PAY FOR) to read a dirty mag :eek:
 
It is a bit like a kid using the stray light from my windows at night (THAT I PAY FOR) to read a dirty mag :eek:
Are you suggesting the theft of photons that you could otherwise have employed for your own utility? :)
 
I store financial and personal information on my pc and have a wireless network, which is secured and does not broadcast. I have no neighbours close to me with wireless devices, but a few times I have seen unknown computers on my network, usually when using XBMC. My house backs on to a hotel car park and it is more than likely that it is businessmen using the hotel that are accessing or attempting to access my connection. I have been the victim of identity theft twice in the last year so it is hugely worrying for me.

Sorry to hear about your thief....But I would take that card out today. Its not hard to get at your info via another device in your house. Also stick a password on the files yes that can be done also but it will take a bit. Have you restricted the MAC address on each device so that only devices inside the house can access the network.

So what could you do from a 'free' wireless access well I could set up a mail server via a wireless access flood the network with some spam mail and let it run for a few days. Stick a few keyloggers on and let them run also. A few google searches and anyone could do it. :(

Now if you leave your car door open and someone breaks in is that not the same issue. A service/item is being taken that you own. I also think that all ISP providers should also make the info more Joe Soap friendly. Be safe ;)
 
I stole someones wifi connection yesterday.


As it happens, it was unintentional, I bought a new laptop and during setup it auto connected to an unsecured local wifi connection and carried on downloading updates etc - all part of the automated setup procedure for Vista.

As soon as it was configured and I had access to the laptop, I set the connection to my non broadcasted, secured wifi access point.



People should start accepting responsability for their own actions - if you buy a wifi access point - secure it.
If you don't know how ........... don't bloody buy one.

If you don't understand the implication - all I have to do is take a clean laptop or pda, connect to your open wifi and start doing any of the following:

- harrass people on the internet
send emails to abuse people, companies etc
post dodgy material on sites etc

- conduct illegal business
drugs
guns
illegal porn
... I can connect up to servers and do my business what ever it may be

- steal your data
run a tcpdump on your network and then scan through and pick out all your transactions, passwords, account names, friends etc.

And ALL of it untraceable to me ..... anyone checking will think it's you.
The likely hood of someone doing that on John Smiths connection at home is very unlikely, consider the number of connections and the time it would take to check everyone in the country. The odds that your connection is abused is low. There is not a hacker on every street corner waiting to steal your connection and data - and of the millions of computers out there, why on earth would they care about yours when there are far more interesting and profitable ones.

...... but you still need to take responsability. We don't allow people to drive cars without a licence and training. Yet we allow people to connect to a huge network that can see their computers being used to cause millions of pounds of damage by DOS attacking businesses. We allow them to have them in the home where children can access virtually anything because the parents can;t secure what the kids see - and assume the free software that came with it does all that 'protection' for them.

Unsecured wifi is free wifi - i like the idea of having free wifi access where every I go, and am prepared to share mine that way if I was protected under law.
Those in the know can secure their systems and network to a point that their own systems are ring fenced and any free access is seperate and restricted in bandwidth.
I have 2 seperate routers at home - and could open up limitied access with restricted bandwidth ... atm I won't because the law holds me responsable.
 
There is also the possibility a percentage of the population do not know about wireless security - or didn't bother to :rtfm: that came with their router
 
Sometimes when I scan I see up to 6 wireless networks around my home from my neighbours.
All secured though :smashin:
 
HI,

I think that as much as my post in this thread, makes me appear contradictory and/or a hypocrit to my post in another thread, this is one of those situations that is a) difficult to enforce (i.e. stopping people "piggy-backing off someone elses internet connection, deliberately or unintentionally), and b) is only a relatively trivial crime (unless the user concerned was obtaining dodgy material, or breaking the law by phishing for ID information, et al) compared to other crimes.

However, this is just my personal opinion, which may not be right most of the time. :D And, as others have said, if you buy and install a Wireless Network, but then don't secure it, it's your own fault, really, if someone starts to "piggy-back" off of it. Ditto, if you own a car or house, and leave them unlocked, you can't be entirely blameless if someone steals or breaks into it! :lesson:

Unless the public and companies at large, are made aware of the damage that could be inflicted upon them, by having their Wi-Fi hijacked or "piggy-backed", then they won't know or won't care if it gets misused. It's all to do with complacency, and thinking that everything will be taken care of for you, by someone else, and all you need to do is plug the thing in, and you'll be okay.

Sadly, life doesn't work like that.


Pooch
 
I have to pay for my broadband and the speed that's it at. If someone else uses the connection I'm getting less than I'm paying for. In the same way if I fill my car up and someone is siphoning off some of the fuel how can I be happy at that?
That's why you have a fuel cap lock ... you don't leave it open do you?
- and presumably your home wi-fi is secured too ;)
 
And, as others have said, if you buy and install a Wireless Network, but then don't secure it, it's your own fault, really, if someone starts to "piggy-back" off of it. Ditto, if you own a car or house, and leave them unlocked, you can't be entirely blameless if someone steals or breaks into it! :lesson:
That is all well and true but I still support police action in this case. Just because an opportunity is presented, whether due to ignorance or otherwise is no defence if you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar
 
Have to admit I have done this in the past :oops:

I was left without a net connection for a few weeks while changing suppliers and noticed there was an unsecure connection available. Not fair really I know, but I wouldnt do anything that would affect that connection my self and only used it for basic browsing (mainly AVFoums - so that ok :D).
 
My son's computer can get a better wireless signal from a neighbours wifi than ours, so whenever we do a search for available connections we have to make sure we connect it to ours.
 
if a person leaves their window open by mistake whos to blame if they get burgled?

the person who does the burgling.

why cant an ISP be help accountable for illegal activities by users? because they cant be held responsible for others actions? well why doesnt that apply to end users? last time i checked no one can be held accountable for others actions its a basic human right

personally i think the only person that is responsible is the user that abuses it to break the law.

how do we know if its a free wireless hotspot or not? and why cant i give out unused bandwidth for free(other than contractual obligations) and feel safe in the knowledge that i wont be prosecuted for people who break the law?

this is no different from a normal unsecured wired network and somebody cloning your ip/using your machine as a zombie.
 
how do we know if its a free wireless hotspot or not?
I don't think there is any need to be "cute" - without wanting to sound whatever it is I may sound like right now

If say you are in your own house or flat and you pick up wi-fi networks, it is safe to say you are picking up private, paid-for internet that is not intended to be a free-for-all. Likewise when you pick up the wi-fi network for a cafe that is only intended for the use of customers
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom