RE: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Mon Sep 23 2002 - 01:02:14 PDT

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    Forwarded from: Pete Lindstrom <plindstromat_private>
    
    Hmmm, not sure if "due care" is a legal term or not, nor whether it
    applies to criminal activity.. It seems to me that "due care" can
    easily fly in the face of personal freedom.
    
    I would argue that I have every right to hang an ethernet cable out my
    window on my property and not expect someone else to tap in, just like
    I would argue I should be able to leave my keys in the ignition
    without having my car stolen, women should be able to wear thongs at
    the beach without risking a pinch, I should be allowed to let certain
    people use my bike but not others, and I should be able to write
    run-on sentences if I want to (;-)). As long as I am not infringing on
    someone else's rights or creating a dangerous situation, etc., why
    shouldn't I be allowed to?
    
    Now, does that make me smart? well, no. Naive? Probably (or more
    likely just plain dumb), but sometimes I'd just rather assume the best
    in people and long for the days when people weren't always looking to
    take advantage of one another (wipe those smirks off your faces). What
    I do know is that it sure doesn't make me a 'villain,' it makes the
    person who broke the law a criminal. Extenuating circumstances? heck,
    I don't know.
    
    Now, back to 'warchalking' - 99.9% of the world doesn't even know what
    that means, let alone be able to exercise something that
    security-conscious folk might call 'due care.' We still have people
    sending money to Nigeria to reinstate whoever-it-is to power and
    recover millions, for crying out loud.
    
    I do happen to believe that saying "painting a target" equals theft
    goes way overboard, but I am absolutely in the other corner if/when
    someone makes use of somebody else's wireless connection to their
    advantage, without being invited or otherwise authorized. Sometimes
    folks are willing to take the risk, especially when it appears to be
    harmless enough (not saying that is the case here) - many of us are
    constant speeders on the highway, but we have to understand the
    downside as well, and pay our tickets if we get them (right?).
    
    regards,
    
    Pete
    
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: InfoSec News [mailto:isnat_private]
    Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 2:50 AM
    To: isnat_private
    Subject: RE: [ISN] Warchalking is theft, says Nokia 
    
    
    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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