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Wardriving is the act of searching for Wi-Fi wireless networks by moving vehicle. It involves using a car or truck and a Wi-Fi-equipped computer, such as a laptop or a PDA, to detect the networks. It was also known (as of 2002) as "WiLDing" (Wireless Lan Driving, although this term never gained any popularity and is no longer used), originating in the San Francisco Bay Area with the Bay Area Wireless Users Group (BAWUG). It is similar to using a scanner for radio. Many wardrivers use GPS devices to measure the location of the network find and log it on a website (the most popular is WiGLE). For better range, antennas are built or bought, and vary from omnidirectional to highly directional. Software for wardriving is freely available on the Internet, notably, NetStumbler for Windows, Kismet for Linux, and KisMac for Macintosh. Wardriving was named after wardialing (popularized in the Matthew Broderick movie WarGames) because it also involves searching for computer systems with software that would use a phone modem to dial numbers sequentially and see which ones were connected to a fax machine or computer, or similar device. (Audio commentary on the Wargames DVD says that wardialing was named after the movie and the software did not openly exist before the movie.) Confusion with piggybacking Wardrivers are only out to log and collect information from the wireless access points (WAPs) they find while driving. Some people consider piggybacking (connecting to a network without explicit authorization) to be part of wardriving. For example, when quoting another article, an Engadget article rewrote the original headline from EETimes to refer to a "Wardriver" rather than a "WiFi user". But wardriving software takes control of the wireless radio so it's impractical if not impossible to both wardrive and piggyback simultaneously. Warwalking Warwalking is similar in nature to Wardriving, except that it is done by walking rather than from a moving vehicle. In recent years, Warwalking was not a simple task, as the walker had to cover large plots of land while carrying a specially-designed laptop. But with the advancement of portable devices with built-in 802.11 capabilities, such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, warwalking seems to be an easier activity to engage in. United States The legality of wardriving in the United States is not clearly defined. There has never been any conviction for wardriving, and there is the untested argument that the 802.11 and DHCP protocols operate on behalf of the owner giving consent to use the network, but not if the user has other reason to know that there is no consent. A New Hampshire bill which would clarify that the duty to secure the wireless network lies with the network owner has not passed yet, due to concerns that it may create a loophole for criminal activity. The specific laws, in any case, vary from state to state. A Florida man was arrested and charged with unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony in the state of Florida, after wirelessly connecting to and hacking into a computer network. It is important to note here that the crime was piggybacking, not wardriving (see above). United Kingdom A wardriver in the United Kingdom might be caught with controversial clause of "use of a computer for a purpose for which one does not have permission". This is a commonly misunderstood concept. Wardrivers do not, in fact, use services without authorization and may not even transmit a signal at all if using passive mode software (e.g. Kismet or KisMAC) instead of active mode software (e.g. Netstumbler). With particular regard to the UK Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 and 1989 (as amended), WT Act how the legislation is applied will depend on the individual circumstances of the offence. There is no specific reference to the practice of "wardriving", however the WT Act does contain general provisions which may be applicable. Wireless Telegraphy Act Analysis As mentioned above, the practice of "wardriving" includes: Whilst it can be argued that "wardriving" is a passive activity on a "licence exempt" part of the spectrum, this is not necessarily always the case - since certain WAPs can, indeed, be licenced under the WTA for commercial purposes. More importantly, since neither the "wardriver" (the person using the apparatus) nor a person on whose behalf he may be acting is an intended recipient, this would appear to be an infringement of part (i) of Section 5(1)(b). In addition, the publication of any data obtained could easily be interpreted as an offence under part (ii) of Section 5(1)(b), especially if the log included "information" broadcast by the host (e.g. the SSID). Ethical considerations Wardriving is frequently cited as an example of a questionable activity. However, from a technical viewpoint, everything is working as designed: Access points broadcast identifying data accessible to anyone with a suitable receiver by necessity. In cases of listen-only software, such as Kismet, wardriving can be likened to listening to a radio station that happens to be broadcasting in your area. But again, this may differ in other countries. For example, in the UK it is illegal to listen on some radio frequencies or to some transmissions (such as those used by the police or armed forces). With other types of software, such as NetStumbler, the wardriver sends probes, and the access point responds per design. Most access points, when using default settings, are intended to provide wireless access to all who request it. Some argue that those who set up access points without adding security measures are offering their connection, sometimes unintentionally, to the community. Others argue that this reasoning is akin to stating that people who leave their doors unlocked are asking people to take what they like. In fact, when people unfamiliar to wardriving see how many open access points there are and how easy it is to find them, they sometimes want to secure their own access points. Some wardrivers go to the extent of informing the access point's administrator about their insecurity and offer steps to correct it. However, it has largely become etiquette to leave access points open for others to use just as someone expects to find open access points while on the road. This free sharing of bandwidth is also the basis of wireless community networks which are often considered the future of the internet. Antennas Wireless access point receivers, such as the Apple AirPort, can be "upgraded" to extend their ability for picking up and connecting to wireless access points. This can be done with an ordinary metal wire, and a metal dish that is used to form a directional antenna. Not only the Airport can be modded in this way, but other similar devices can be modded in this way too, likewise, not only directional antennas can be created, but USB-WiFi-stick antennas can be used as well. Tools such as Wireless Grapher-widget can be used to measure out the antenna. Court cases According to techweb.com an Illinois man was fined for piggybacking on a Wi-Fi System after being warned repeatedly by the owner of the system. David M. Kauchak, 32, pleaded guilty in Winnebago County to remotely accessing someone else's computer system without permission, the Rockford Register Star newspaper reported. A Winnebago County judge fined Kauchak $250 and sentenced him to one year of court supervision. Kauchak has the dubious distinction of being the first person to face the charge in Winnebago County, and prosecutors say they're taking the crime seriously. "We just want to get the word out that it is a crime. We are prosecuting it, and people need to take precautions," Assistant State's Attorney Tom Wartowski told the newspaper. A police officer arrested Kauchak in January after spotting him sitting in a parked car with a computer. A chat with the suspect led to the arrest, Wartowski said. In Toronto, Canada, a man was arrested with a WiFi-enabled laptop in his car - and his pants down. He was tapping into unprotected wireless networks. Ultimately, however, he was charged not for that, but for the child pornography he was in the process of downloading. It is important to note in both of the above cases the individual was NOT charged with 'wardriving' but for a crime related to a completely different activity - e.g., possession of child pornography or hacking into a local computer network. Wireless network security More security-conscious network operators may choose from a variety of security measures to limit access to their wireless network, including: Software Concepts Software (in addition to software listed above) Maps and databases Discussions and project sites Articles | |||||||
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