OPEN WIFI /OPEN NETWORK

The Dangers of an Open Wifi /Open Network at Homes

The Dangers of an Open Wifi /Open Network at Homes

Introduction

Most users are now aware of the dangers of home wireless networks, however open access public networks are a far greater risk. In fact, I'm constantly amazed at the way folks extol the virtues of public Wi-Fi networks without even considering the serious security risks involved. These risks are real and immediate, not theoretical. (Papageorgiou, 2011)

The argument that using open WiFi networks deprives ISPs of significant revenue is also a red herring. Take the case of public WiFi hotspots: official hotspots aren't that difficult to find in major cities—every public library in Chicago has open WiFi, for instance. Are the public libraries and the countless other free hotspot providers helping defraud ISPs? No, they're not. There's no law that using the Internet requires payment of a fee to an ISP, and the myriad public hotspots prove this. (Kewney, 2010)

Really, there's only one time when you could argue that an ISP is being gypped, and that's when someone is repeatedly using his neighbor's open WiFi in lieu of paying for his own service. Is this really wrong? Let's consider some parallel examples. If the man in question were given a key and told that he could enter his neighbor's house whenever he wanted to use a PC to access the Internet, would this be wrong? They key here (pun intended) is the "permission" given by the owner of the home. Our leeching friend would clearly be in the wrong if he were breaking into the house, of course, because he would be sidestepping something clearly set up to keep him out.

Just because my neighbor leaves his hot tub open and the gate unlocked does not mean I have the right the walk into his backyard and go for a dip. To further illustrate, you will not be comfortable with your neighbor, maybe the one you have never met, walking up to the side of your house and borrowing your ladder without asking permission. This is essentially what people are doing every day with their neighbors' open Wi-Fi networks; it is not just the hackers. Although there is a fundamental difference between a material object and network access, the law finds both acts to be an act of trespassing and/or theft. As previously mentioned, by playing bandwidth-intensive games, someone can severely limit the network owner's access to their own connection. Some providers may also restrict the number of users and their actions on a network. Therefore, not only do these simple acts seem innately wrong, they are ethically unfair.

Discussion

Many people use wireless Internet to connect to their financial information on banking websites or credit card accounts. When you use an open wireless network, you are putting your details at risk. Hackers who are monitoring the network can get into your accounts, take your login information or make changes to your bank or credit card ...