Yet Another Fine For “Stealing” WiFi

A recent court case, which saw a West London man fined £500 and sentenced to 12 months’ conditional discharge for hijacking a wireless broadband connection, has repercussions for almost every user of wi-fi networks. It is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK, but with an estimated one million wi-fi users around the country, it is unlikely to be the last.

He “hi-jacked” and gained “unauthorized” access to someone elses WiFi, but it’s not mentioned whether or not the network was secure. Going by common sense, it would be unlikely for someone to take the time to crack a wireless network (when it can take hours to days) when there are always free spots right around the corner.

Instead of fining people who “borrow” WiFi, governments should inform people about the importance of securing their networks. If you couldn’t be bothered to secure your own network, expect things like this to happen.

Source: BBC