Criminals Find Wireless Net Easy Prey

Thousands of internet users risk being involved in crimes because their wireless connections are not secure.

By simply using a laptop, The Press and The Dominion Post yesterday revealed hundreds of internet “holes” that can be used by criminals to hide their identities to conduct electronic crimes.

Wireless internet connections enable people to access the internet from any part of their home or business, but coverage can extend up to 60 metres beyond walls.

Police electronic crime national manager Maarten Kleintjes said thieves accessed victims’ wireless internet every day. Most do so to gain free internet use but others have “more criminal” reasons.

“They can sit in their car outside your house and download child porn,” Kleintjes said. “The person inside would be totally unaware.”

Customers with inadequate security could also be left counting the cost of having their allocated bandwidth used up by cyber- crooks – prompting one expert to compare it with leaving a wallet on the ground full of cash.

The criminal act – known as “wardriving” – involves searching for wireless networks with a portable computer or internet-capable cellphone while driving.

Kleintjes said unauthorised access to a computer network was illegal and those caught could be jailed for up to seven years.

If a criminal chose to access child pornography on an insecure internet connection, innocent people could become embroiled in the investigation and get “a knock at the door” from police.

“The source points to your account,” he said. “They leave a big fat fingerprint on your router.”

The electronic crime unit could usually track evidence back to the offender. Those who help themselves by accessing someone else’s account are often unaware they are breaking the law.

“It happens regularly — not always for malicious reasons,” he said.

“People leave it open free for everyone, it becomes an all you can eat.

“But if the back door of your house is open, it’s no excuse for someone to go in and help themselves.”

.

INTERNET SAFETY

* Always fully read the instructions that come with a wireless modem. Most modems are “plug and go” and self- configure. Take a few more minutes to set the security.

* Turn off your “network name” – also known as a Service Set IDentifier. The name can be searched by cyber criminals. When you change it, do not use your street address or common passwords.

* Disable the SSID broadcast feature – this broadcasts to the Internet that you are using wireless.

* Ensure the router firewall and your PC’s firewall are enabled.

* Monitor your usage. If you know roughly how much you use each month, you will see any unusual activity or spikes in usage.

* Contact your service provider with any questions and they can talk you through making your wireless connection safe. ————- ——-

——————–

(c) 2008 Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.