A WSJ article on free wifi - and the people who use it. Nothing big here, just seems to reiterate that there are still people out there who don't realize they are broadcasting an internet signal.

Nigel Ballard was hauling the trash out one night several months ago when he spotted a digital loiterer in front of his house.

A man was sitting in a car blocking Mr. Ballard's driveway, the soft glow of a laptop illuminating the vehicle's interior. The driver was checking his e-mail. Mr. Ballard had set up a wireless antenna to share his high-speed Internet connection with neighbors, but he hadn't expected to see strangers dallying after dark.

"I was a little perturbed ... it was 11 o'clock at night," says Mr. Ballard, a member of a Portland, Ore., group that promotes free wireless Internet access. Still, he says, he didn't really mind as long as the stranger stayed off his property.

posted by mt at 02:36

Cory Doctorow has strong feelings about the article below. He's in favor of open, public hotspots, as am I, and rips the article for FUD and poor research. I've seen such backlashes before against other wireless stories, but I think each side is correct. Cory makes a great point here:

Hackers could also use coin-operated Ethernet jacks and Internet Cafes to launch attacks on the broader Internet, also threatening WiFi users. So what? Malice is transport-independent.

However, this technology is everywhere now - homes, offices, schools. And most people I talk to, don't have the slightest idea they are allowing anyone access to their network. Sure, it's not a big deal now. But what happens when spammers, file traders and other nefarious activities begin causing problems for people running these hotspots. I think people just need to be aware of these concerns and take a few basic steps to protect themselves. Lock down your machines, keep the patches updated, etc. As is always the case, we can't let a few rotten eggs ruin the technology for the rest of us.

And vendors needs to make sure security is transparent, built-in and automatic for the end-users. It cannot be a hassle, an extra step or a burden. Keep it simple and standard for every hardware and software configuration.

You're all welcome to pull up outside my office or home to check your email or surf the web. Just don't do anything bad ;) ...
posted by mt at 17:02

I was asked to comment on wifi security for this article in the Washington Post. It's a good piece on the challenges facing the security and wireless community.
posted by mt at 02:27