Italy Quake Rescuers Ask Locals To Unlock Their Wi-Fi (bbc.com)

Rescue teams searching for earthquake survivors in central Italy have asked locals to unlock their Wifi passwords. The Italian Red Cross says residents' home networks can assist with communications during the search for survivors, reports BBC. From the report: On Wednesday a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy and killed more than 240 people. More than 4,300 rescuers are looking for survivors believed to still be trapped in the rubble. On Twitter, the Italian Red Cross posted a step-by-step guide which explains how local residents can switch off their Wifi network encryption. Similar requests have been made by the National Geological Association and Lazio Region. A security expert has warned that removing encryption from a home Wifi network carries its own risks, but added that those concerns are trivial in the context of the rescue operation.

Comments

Re:Trivial???

[Anonymous Coward]

And yet if something illegal happens on the WiFi, will the govt ignore it?

... it's a disaster area... get real. I'm sure hey couldn't care less about your illegal downloads at such moments.

This is a horrible idea, sorry. The govt should bring in WiFi hotspots, and not put locals at risk.

No it isn't. Europe has plenty of faults but it hasn't devolved yet into the US situation. Your worries about litigation are so out of proportion. No government can replace and provide all existing infrastructure at all places. And you just reply as if it's only the governments responsibility to help anyone struck by a natural disaster. "Government of the people, BY the people, ..."