NetStumbler http://www.netstumbler.com The award-winning wireless networking tool and the best source for your daily Wi-Fi, WiMAX, 3G and VoIP news. Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:52:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Michigan Man Arrested For Using Cafe’s Free WiFi From His Car http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/05/31/michigan-man-arrested-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car/ http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/05/31/michigan-man-arrested-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car/#comments Thu, 31 May 2007 13:49:26 +0000 Eliza Villarino http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/05/31/michigan-man-arrested-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car/ The Michigan police arrested Sam Peterson for using from his car the free WiFi network that Union Street Cafe has reserved solely for its customers. Peterson escaped the penalty of five-year imprisonment and paying a $10,000 fee, as prescribed by the state’s “fraudulent access to computers, computer systems, and computer networks” law. Prosecutors only demanded that he pay a $400 fine and perform 40 hours of community service, arguing that Peterson was possibly unaware that he broke the law. The arrest will not be reflected on his record as well.

Authorities in other states have made similar arrests. In 2005, a Florida man was charged with a third degree felony for tapping an open WiFi network from his SUV. Last year, an Illinois resident pleaded guilty for using an unsecured WiFi network from his car while someone in Washington was apprehended for parking outside a coffee shop and using the store’s WiFi connection without buying anything. This year, a man in Alaska had a similar fate after hours of piggybacking on the public library’s wireless network to play games from his car in the parking lot.
Via [arstechnica.com]

]]> http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/05/31/michigan-man-arrested-for-using-cafes-free-wifi-from-his-car/feed/ 14 Child Porn Case Shows That An Open WiFi Network Is No Defense http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/04/30/child-porn-case-shows-that-an-open-wifi-network-is-no-defense/ http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/04/30/child-porn-case-shows-that-an-open-wifi-network-is-no-defense/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:50:47 +0000 Kristin Abraham http://www.netstumbler.com/2007/04/30/child-porn-case-shows-that-an-open-wifi-network-is-no-defense/ Leaving a wireless access point (WAP) open is generally considered a bad idea. Experts suggest you could be opening yourself to criminals by not password protecting your WiFi Network. But if you are a criminal then keeping and open WAP may become your defense. A growing number of file sharers believe they can throw reasonable doubt into any lawsuit by demonstrating that anyone could have been accessing their computer through an open WAP. But this may not be the case. Recently a Texas man, convicted of possessing child pornography, tried to use this defense stating that the original evidence used to get the search warrant was based upon an email that could have been sent by his roommate over the man’s open WAP. In this case the District Court and the US Court of Appeals disagreed and the man was convicted. So, file sharers beware, an open WAP may not provide any protection from criminal prosecution.

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