RE: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Thu Sep 19 2002 - 23:50:06 PDT

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    Fowarded from: jsklein <jskleinat_private>
    
    This must be a marketing piece. Notice there are no names of Nokia
    staff are and only one Nokia reference. They must be selling a new
    product. Sounds like Mr. James Middleton has just reproduced a Nokia
    company press releases and label it as News. And you wonder why we
    don't trust the press :-).
    
    Now let's address the real issues in this article, theft of services.
    The theft is the result of companies are not practicing due care for
    their wireless networks. And as always, it's easer to blame a "Hacker"
    then take responsibility for your actions.
    
    If I put an Ethernet cable out the windows and connect it to my
    network. Someone uses the Ethernet cable and labels it as an Ethernet
    cable. You are telling me that the villain the person who use my
    Ethernet and labeled it. No, it is me, for being stupid enough to put
    the Ethernet out the window.
    
    
    Joe Klein
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-isnat_private [mailto:owner-isnat_private] On Behalf
    Of InfoSec News
    Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 5:48 AM
    To: isnat_private
    Subject: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia 
    
    http://www.vnunet.com/News/1135130
    
    By James Middleton 
    18-09-2002
    
    Geek 'pioneers' slammed as bandwidth thieves
    
    Warchalking, the technique of highlighting areas where wireless
    networks can be accessed freely, has been blasted as theft. And the
    practitioners of warchalking are being slammed as bandwidth thieves in
    an advisory issued by mobile and wireless vendor Nokia.
    
    Over the last few months, geeks have been drawing chalk symbols on
    walls and pavements in cities to mark points where signals from nearby
    office wireless networks can be tapped into to access the internet.
    
    The initial hysteria was over security, when it emerged that
    warchalkers may also be freely browsing corporate networks and
    accessing private company information. Now Nokia has raised the
    stakes.
    
    "Data privacy is at stake, and so is data integrity," the firm said.  
    "But the little-talked-about issue of bandwidth-robbing by these
    warchalkers should not be ignored.
    
    "While the warchalkers maintain they are not trying to hack networks,
    they are using a resource which they haven't paid for."
    
    [...]
    
    
    
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