Comments on: Why you should not run an Open Wi-Fi

By: trendless

trendless — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:55:03 +0000

2 options:

run a smoothwall (or similar firewall device) and have a separate open wifi network that cannot communicate with your network

become a fonero!

By: Open WiFi at home or not? I say yes.

Open WiFi at home or not? I say yes. — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:45:26 +0000

[...] many commentators (ghacks has good commentary on this), I think for most folks locking down their WiFi is a good idea. I haven’t always, but [...]

By: Stefan

Stefan — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:25:44 +0000

@Dante:
Open WiFi != Unsecure Network != Compromised security of its computers and for sure != unencrypted connection to your invesment accounts.

@Martin:
I’d love to have more open WiFi’s around, since I usually carry a WiFi-enabled-mobile around, so it’s not just the neighbours.
Since I do know about the laws in your home country, I acknowledge your concerns though, cause if something does indeed happen, you’re toast *g*

The bandwidth-argument is an issue though. The efforts I’d have to pull to work around these are around those to secure my network, which leaves only Schneier’s “Do-Goodie”-aspect of the whole thing, against which there is no argument as such, except some pessimists grumbling.

Is it dangerous? Not if he puts the efforts saved securing his WLAN in securing his own computers. Is it illegal? Obviously not in the US. Plus, he can afford an expensive lawsuit or a good lawyer to start with, so he has indeed little to fear, even if his network would be by 0.little % percent used for a crime of any sort.

By: Dante

Dante — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:38:40 +0000

I guess this “security” expert doesn’t make too much money. Obviously he has no need to log onto any investment accounts while sharing his Open connection. Or he could be a choirboy at heart: grabs ankle and SHOUTS – I BELIEVE !!

By: Tarek

Tarek — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:08:30 +0000

Almost a year ago, Bruce Schneier asked in his blog if we really need a security industry.

“As I often do, I mused about what it means for the IT industry that there are thousands of dedicated security products on the market: some good, more lousy, many difficult even to describe. Why aren’t IT products and services naturally secure, and what would it mean for the industry if they were?”, Bruce Schneier
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/05/do_we_really_ne.html

I think his opinion about making Wifi open consists with what he wrote. He is pushing people to train the warriors instead of relying on untrained warriors with a lot of shields around their bodies.

But the problem is that I have the feeling that he is somehow confused and cannot tell when the warrior’s body ends and when his shields start.

By: Shaudius

Shaudius — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:03:33 +0000

A law professor at the University of Dayton, Susan Brenner, wrote an article in her blog about this very subject. The comments are especially interesting, the long and short of it is that you probably aren’t criminally liable in the US if you open your WiFi, at least not for crimes committed by others. Check it the full article at:

http://cyb3rcrim3.blogspot.com/2007/12/criminal-liability-for-unsecured.html

By: » Why you should not run an Open Wi-Fi

» Why you should not run an Open Wi-Fi — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:48:04 +0000

[...] Martin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]