Jason Hart, An ethical Hacker traveled the main routes of six UK cities using freely-available “wardriving” software. The aim of the operating was to determine the number of networks that were either open or easily accessible.

The results showed nearly 40,000 networks as high risk, allowing access to the personal data of thousands of individuals to hackers and identity thieves.

Also as part of the survey the team were able to sniff passwords to email and other accounts at a rate of 350 per hour  from public wireless access points such as those in pub’s, airports and cafes.

Numerous reports in the media have been published about the same problem here in Ireland however people don’t see too bothered.

“We assure you that we can crack a cybercrime immediately after it is committed, so people would do better to abstain,” said a Qatar official. He added that the law provided for three years’ prison term for the offenders in such cases.

“We are citing the example of the secondary school student to tell one and all that no one who commits a cybercrime in the country can go unpunished,” he said.

Barry Ardolf have been charged with threatening US vice president Joe Bidden using his neighbours WiFi connection. Presumably by doing this he intended to frame his neighbour. Barry also setup fake emails in his neighbours name and sent illicit images of children to work colleagues.

Hacking Wifi with a Pringles Can

“I was thinking of you on Valentines Day. I wouldn’t mind at all if you wanted to sneak me a kiss when nobody is looking. Remember what Bill Clinton finally fessed up to? I want that from you!”

“This is a terrorist threat! Take this seriously. I hate the way you people are spending money you don’t have … I’m assigning myself to be judge, jury and executioner. Since you folks have spent what you don’t have, it’s time to pay the ultimate price.”

Above are some excerpts from  the emails Barry Ardolf had sent to the Vice President. The FBI were able to track Ardolf down by monitoring his neigbours wifi device and ultimately figuring out that it was indeed Ardolf using the connection. The seizure of hard drives and computer equipment from Ardolf’s home led to authorities uncovering confidential illegally obtained information such as social security numbers and other sensitive information belonging to current and previous neighbours. I would be under the impression that without the FBI being involved then Ardolf’s neighbour would have had one hell of an ordeal justifying his innocence.

Back home in Ireland a short spin around any city or town with nothing more than a laptop will uncover numerous open and poorly secured WiFi networks. Death threats, hacking and various other illegal activities can be performed through these connections with little or no possibility of ever tracking down the offender. With something as unconventional as a Pringles can WiFi networks can be hacked into from miles away leaving no traceability whatsoever. This issue has been raised numerous times in the media but people still don’t seem to be heeding the message.