Available at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110424/ap_on_hi_te/us_wi_fi_warning
In Buffalo, a 25-year-old guy logged in to his neighbor house’s Wi-Fi connection and downloaded child pornography through the wireless signal.
Firstly, the FBI agents suspected the homeowners. They denied and agents tapped away at the homeowner’s desktop computer, eventually taking it with them, along with his and his wife’s iPads and iPhones.
Within three days, investigators determined the homeowner had been telling the truth: If someone was downloading child pornography through his wireless signal, it wasn’t him. About a week later, agents arrested the guy and charged him with distribution of child pornography. The case is pending in federal court.
Experts say the more savvy hackers can go beyond just connecting to the Internet on the host’s dime and monitor Internet activity and steal passwords or other sensitive information.
This case revealed two major issues. One is how to protect privacy of Wi-Fi users and the other is whether internet users are legally responsible to secure their wireless connections to prevent others from illegally downloading data.