Secret Service Goes War Driving

JSC writes "Looks like the Secret Service is taking a page from the WarDriving handbook. Your tax dollars at work includes springing for the Pringles can for the antenna."

Comments

grumpy old man rant about your tax dollars

[capnjack41]

I bet they paid way too much for those Pringles cans (like their $400 hammers and $600 toilet seats).

So?

[ConsumedByTV]

I do it.
Why should I care if the SS does it :)

Right Kyle?

The article got this one right

[kbroom]

(...)These networks are becoming common in airports, universities, coffee houses, businesses, homes and even some public squares. But they are sold with no security measures (...)
Actually, most vendors advertise WEP as a security mechanism for these wireless networks, but as we all know, it is pretty much useless. I wonder if the writers of the article wrote the above statement knowing this fact, or if they just got lucky.

Its Warchalking....

[siliconshock.com]

Warchalking PDF FAQ and check out This site

Check the Lottery

[I_am_Rambi]

Peterson recently drove down a major Washington street and found over 20 wireless networks, many of which had no security at all. Peterson said his probes are part of good police work, like a patrolman driving through a neighborhood.

I know of someone who drove downtown in my hometown and picked up many wireless networks. This included 4 laptops with pringle can antennas. Among one of these networks he noticed the name was the state Lottery, thats right, the lottery. As he looked up, he was passing the building for the state lottery. It is interesting to see how many open wireless networks that there are in a town.

He also informed one company of the open network (he knew the network admin) and immediatly lost his ip for that network.

Is it illegal to pick up the wireless network as you drive by, if you don't do anything with it? Or is it illegal to pick it up and browse the net or both?

So when the SS does it now it's okay?

[lannocc]

I find it interesting that when the Secret Service goes around wardriving and alerting network owners of insecure networks it's okay, but then Joe "gray"-hat hacker does the same thing these same network owners attempt to prosecute the individual.

Pringles Can Antenna

[p00kiethebear]

Ive been wanting to make one of these for awhile now. You can find some absolutely splendiferous pictures here: http://verma.sfsu.edu/users/wireless/pringles.php

Personally im glad...

[packeteer]

Im glad my tax dollars are going to someything like this. Not that they are war driving but they are using pringles cans. I mean i personally wouldn't spend my money on a nice antannea so why should the govt. spend my money on one. if a pringles can is good enough for me than its good enouh for the govt.

The FUD is working!!!

[God! Awful]

A quasi-mainstream news source called warchalkers "independent security researchers." That's gotta be a first.

-a

Tax dollars at work

[EvilStein]

*munch*munch*munch**munch*munch*munch**munch*munch *munch*

"Hey Agent 423.. got any more Pringles?"

*munch*munch*munch**munch*munch*munch**munch*mun ch *munch*

"No, but I could sure use another Coke.."

*munch*munch*munch**munch*munch*munch**munch*mun ch *munch*

The knock on the door metaphor, Fed Style

[jerryasher]

How many hacking cases in the past few years have just been for just port scanning -- a knock on the door?

Peterson recently drove down a major Washington street and found over 20 wireless networks, many of which had no security at all. Peterson said his probes are part of good police work, like a patrolman driving through a neighborhood.

"I feel it is part of crime prevention to knock on the door," Peterson said.

So that's what port scans are, just knocking on the door, part of crime prevention, and not malicious in and of itself.

Re:Why is this coming from taxes?

[mamba-mamba]

From the article:

Chris McFarland, head of the Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force, said his agents have begun evaluating computer security along with other concerns when they scout out a place where the president or other protected dignitary will go.

McFarland said, for example, that agents have had extensive discussions with officials at George Washington Hospital about improving its wireless network security.

While the agents plan to offer their expertise to anyone who asks, they are focusing on places most important to their mission of protecting public officials. The hospital is several blocks from the White House and treated Vice President Dick Cheney ( news - web sites) during his heart problems.

[emphasis added]
MM
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