WarDriver steals bandwidth for porn (or "why you need to lock down your WiFi")

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Gordon Moore
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Feb 2002
    • 3188

    WarDriver steals bandwidth for porn (or "why you need to lock down your WiFi")

    This guy was/is rather stupid (and took a serious break from reality), but it's still a good reason to continue to beat the "take responsibility for yourself" drum and remind people to batten down the hatches where they can....if you're unsure how, ask a friend, hire a consultant...or

    ask here....my advice will always be free

    From CTV.ca



    Police warn of Wi-Fi theft by porn downloaders

    CTV.ca News Staff

    Toronto police have charged a man with theft of telecommunications in a bizarre case that involves downloading child pornography from a laptop in a moving car and using other people's computer networks to obtain the images.

    Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie of the Sex Crimes Child Exploitation Section described at a news conference "a relatively interesting set of events," that seem to mark a new era in criminal behaviour and police investigative techniques.

    The case began two weeks ago Wednesday, at 5 a.m., when Sgt. Don Woods of 11 Division noticed a vehicle driving the wrong way down a one-way street in a residential neighbourhood.

    When Woods stopped the car, he noticed the driver, a man, was naked from the waist down. In the car was a laptop computer and on its screen was an image of a 10-year-old girl in a sex act with an adult male.

    Gillespie's child exploitation unit was called in to investigate. Police discovered the laptop computer used a Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) card that allows wireless access to the Internet.

    Police suspected that the man in the car was downloading pornography from the Internet, by cracking into a computer in a nearby home.

    Det. Sgt. Frank Goldschmidt, of the Ontario Provincial Police's Project P, picked up the investigation because the suspect's home was in Delhi, Ont., outside of Toronto.

    A warrant was obtained, a search was executed, and a large amount of material was seized and taken to Toronto Police for further investigation.

    Walter Nowakoski, 36, has been charged with possession of child pornography (two counts), accessing child pornography, distributing child pornography, theft of telecommunications, and making child pornography.

    Nowakoski is in custody and will appear for a bail hearing on Monday morning.

    Gillespie said he called the news conference to alert homes and businesses to the potential for cracking into their insecure networks.

    Nowakoski was allegedly using such improperly protected wireless networks to download child porn.

    War Driving

    Locating insecure networks is known as "War Driving." It's the practise of driving around in a vehicle with a Wi-Fi enabled laptop scanning for vulnerable signals, usually in an effort to steal Internet bandwidth.

    For many computer enthusiasts, "War Driving" is a sport done without malice. The tools:

    A laptop with a good wireless card and an antenna
    Cheap software to help identify networks in offices and homes
    An on-screen utility displays wireless network access points, and the signal strength of the network detected
    Further steps can be taken to gain access to those networks
    Most War Drivers are motivated simply by the thrill of the chase. However, what they argue is a relatively harmless electronic scavenger hunt for "free" Internet access, Toronto police call telecommunications theft.

    "I don't think that the public realizes that these signals can be transmitted 500 feet or more, depending on the size of the network," Gillespie said.

    "It is so bad, that there are individual Web sites that show people how to steal wireless web signals, with maps. And people have actually gone to the trouble of spray painting red Xs in front of houses, in case you can't read the map."

    War Driving is relatively easy to thwart. Almost all software used in business and home wireless networks employs encryption that can block unauthorized access. It just has to be configured properly.

    Tips

    Just as Canadians were early adopters in Internet use and broadband access, they are also world leaders in Wi-Fi use. But there are a number of weaknesses in the Wi-Fi system. Here are some tips to help keep users secure:

    Make sure that you turn on the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) algorithm, which is part of the 802.11 standard common to most LAN (local area networks)
    Always assume that someone is going to try to break into your system, no matter what security you have installed ... check your download and temp files
    Change your passwords on a frequent basis
    Turn off your network when it is not in use
    Use the Internet to keep updated on new flaws that are being discovered in wireless security



    "A RONSTER!"
    Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here.
Working...
😀
😂
🥰
😘
🤢
😎
😞
😡
👍
👎
Searching...Please wait.
An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because you have logged in since the previous page was loaded.

Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
An unexpected error was returned: 'Your submission could not be processed because the token has expired.

Please push the back button and reload the previous window.'
An internal error has occurred and the module cannot be displayed.
There are no results that meet this criteria.
Search Result for "|||"