[Wylug-discuss] uk wireless hijacker found guilty (fwd)

[James Holden]

Indeed. I spotted this on the reg this morning.

Does anyone have any more details though? Did he break the encryption or 
was no encryption used?

I'd like to know what case was presented because at the moment I fail to 
see any criminal element to what he did. I've certainly done the same in 
an emergency, but also I've done it accidentally when I've been on-site 
at a client and used a neightbouring companys wireless LAN because of a 
meaningless/ambiguous SSID. How would I be treated if the other company 
decided to report me?

The way I see it, is that using someone elses wireless access when they 
fail to enable the encryption is like being charged with theft for using 
water that runs onto the street because somebody didn't turn their 
outside tap off. Other analogies involving entering through unlocked 
doors don't hold up really.

The story on silicon.com also highlights the case in the US of the guy 
who sniffed CC numbers from a wireless LAN in a shop. I wonder what 
would happen here with our data protection laws.



James


Jim Jackson wrote:

>
> Seen on another list................
>
> http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39150672,00.htm
>
> Published: Friday 22 July 2005
>
> A UK man has been fined £500 and sentenced to 12 months' conditional 
> discharge for hijacking a wireless broadband connection.
>
> On Wednesday, a jury at Islewoth court in London found Gregory 
> Straszkiewicz, 24, guilty of dishonestly obtaining an electronic 
> communications service and possessing equipment for fraudulent use of 
> a communications service.
>
> Straszkiewicz was prosecuted under sections 125 and 126 of the 
> Communications Act 2003.
>
>
> The case is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.
>
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