Neighborhood WiFi Security

picaro writes to tell us the New York Times has an interesting piece about the abundance of open wireless connections available due to the lack of the average user's knowledge. The article also takes a look at how the prevalent attitude is that tapping in to these connections does not equate to stealing and why still other may disagree. From the article: "Piggybacking, the usually unauthorized tapping into someone else's wireless Internet connection, is no longer the exclusive domain of pilfering computer geeks or shady hackers cruising for unguarded networks. Ordinarily upstanding people are tapping in. As they do, new sets of Internet behaviors are creeping into America's popular culture."

Comments

Re:RTFM

[1u3hr]

If they spoof their mac address to be yours, chances are you won't be able to prove that you didn't do it...

Fortunately, normally* you don't have to prove you are innocent of a criminal charge, the prosecutor has to prove you are guilty. And if anyone could have been using the IP in question, then unless you have something incriminating on your hard disk, this makes any evidence no more than circumstantial.

*Unless you're a Muslim.