How to Take Over a Train Station

ThinkComp writes "Everyone knows that home wireless networks are insecure, but who would expect a major transportation hub to be vulnerable to the same problems? Well, waiting for my friend's train at South Station in Boston, MA, I happened to notice that it was possible to take control of the entire station's wireless network, including its home page and authorization method (free wireless, anyone?)--and those of thirty other businesses throughout Massachusetts, thanks to a few coding errors on the part of the wireless company with which South Station contracted."

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[CypherXero]

From TFA:
"...for some reason, even though I've asked it not to, Microsoft Windows XP occasionally opts for the best wireless connection instead of my wired ethernet cable, which is faster. When this occurs, I am able to browse the internet using the nearby company's DSL line (for which they are presumably footing the bill), but I usually cannot tell the difference."

Turn off your wireless card, dumbass.

Re:What a waste of bandwidth

[Vombatus]

http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Butterfinger /Breakfast_At_Fatboys/Yo_Mamma/250418.html

Re:Thanks for the Warning!!

[StikyPad]

What happened to the "terrorists"'s right to life?

Presumably they relinquished their right to life when they strapped on a TNT vest.

Re:That's a stupid question

[1u3hr]

I would expect them to treat their systems contractors like anybody else, as if the lives of people depended on the quality of their work.

Nobody's life depended on wifi access; it has as much relevance to the actual operations of the railway as breaking into a coke vending machine in the station does; i.e. they might lose a few cents from the "security breach" and have to spend a bit more to fix it later; despite the article's attempt to make this sound like TERRORISTS CAN CRASH TRAINS WITH LAPTOPS!!!.