Man Charged With Stealing Wi-Fi Signal
 

Man Charged With Stealing Wi-Fi Signal Wed Jul 6, 8:15 PM ET



Police have arrested a man for using someone else's wireless Internet network in one of the first criminal cases involving this fairly common practice.

Benjamin Smith III, 41, faces a pretrial hearing this month following his April arrest on charges of unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony.

Police say Smith admitted using the Wi-Fi signal from the home of Richard Dinon, who had noticed Smith sitting in an SUV outside Dinon's house using a laptop computer.

The practice is so new that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement doesn't even keep statistics, according to the St. Petersburg Times, which reported Smith's arrest this week.

Innocuous use of other people's unsecured Wi-Fi networks is common, though experts say that plenty of illegal use also goes undetected: such as people sneaking on others' networks to traffic in child pornography, steal credit card information and send death threats.

Security experts say people can prevent such access by turning on encryption or requiring passwords, but few bother or are unsure how to do so.

Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, has enjoyed prolific growth since 2000. Millions of households have set up wireless home networks that give people like Dinon the ability to use the Web from their backyards but also reach the house next door or down the street.

It's not clear why Smith was using Dinon's network. Prosecutors declined to comment, and a working phone number could not be located for Smith.

interesting, you knew it would happen eventually.


Edit: At the same time though, if the network is left wide open, it's not like he had to 'hack' in or something. Seems like he could say that there was no way to know that the network was not purposely open to the public.

:2 cents:

-P

he'll get off. If that was me, when the charges were dismissed I would sue the guy for causing me emotional distress and defamation of character. :2 cents:

"Security experts say people can prevent such access by turning on encryption or requiring passwords, but few bother or are unsure how to do so."


i can believe that

Oh man, my cable internet has been out for 2 days and I'm waiting on the repair guy to come tomorrow. I've been hopping from one of my neighbor's networks to another for 2 days now. Yikes, a 3rd degree felony!! :helpme :helpme

A lot of windows systems are setup to connect to the first unsecured network they find. Basically, the filthy swine in redmond are facilitating a felony and should be impeached.

I better turn off my computer... ;)

Great article.

Do you have a link to the source? I have a wonderful idea.

many a times i've been connected to someone else's network unknowingly.

Who would be dumb enough to admit to that? I'd say I had no idea how to even use this computer thingie that my grandma bought for me :(

If you want to do that kind of thing best place is near a hotel or an apartment complex.

Sure you would. If someone is purposely parked outside your house with the intention of using your network they should be charged.

most are smart in my building:
http://www.cheerihoes.com/w1.jpg

There are 11 networks on my Linksys site survey. 3 are encrypted and 8 are open for use. A few times I noticed my connection was running slow and found out that my wireless card had connected to someone elses network. I unknowingly did that. However, the last 2 days I have been making use of them. Tomorrow after Comcast fixes mine I'll be back on my own secure network. :1orglaugh

i turned on my laptop, it found the internet, i checked my email

and im going to jail on a 3rd degree felony?

gtfo.. crack dealers dont get that rap

I have done that a number of times when traveling cross country. I try and find a Holiday Inn Express near the freeway but sometimes I just drive down the street until I find a signal. Pull over check stats and email and back on the road.

ok.. interesting article.. i'll take that as an advice..

he will get off if he has a half way decent lawyer. thats their own damn fault for not using a key on their wireless.

on a side note, just last week there was a storm and my house lost power for a day and a half. i went to the airport because i had a boingo account and i couldnt get a signal there unless i went past security. so i pulled up in front of someones house and used their internet. driving down a main road i found like 3+ signals every mile. i would say only 10-20% of people use a key.

im going to put a webpage up with no password on it, but anyone who goes to it will be sued for unauthorized access.