On Tue, Mar 18, 2003 at 08:18:39AM -0800, Enrique LaRoche wrote:
> > Folks - it took a while but here's the answer from the FBI on
> > the legal view
> > of wireless scanning:
> >
> > As for your question regarding netstumbling, it's not illegal
> > to scan, but
> > once a theft of service, denial of service, or theft of
> > information occurs,
> > then it becomes a federal violation through 18USC 1030.  The
> > FBI does not
> > have a website with this type of information.  You either
> > need to pose the
> > question to us or a cyber crime attorney (or our US
> > attorney's office).

> This defines what responsibilities I have as an AP owner and it also defines
> who is wrong when there is an unauthorized use.
> 
> It is not my responsibility to secure my AP it is a crime for you to use my
> service without permission or hack my server even if I have a completely
> open site.

Bzzzt.  Wrong answer, but thanks for playing.

You are making the implicit assertion that *any* access point you don't
have explicit knowledge of and permission to use is *not* open for
public usage -- and the environment makes it clear that this is simply
not a proper assertion: there are almost a dozen websites which list
freely-accessible AP's.

That these websites, and these AP's exist is prima facie evidence that
the concept of "Open AP" is not merely something invented by defendents
in a court case... and by extension, that if you don't want people
using your AP, you had better not leave it open.

Was that a sufficiently clear exposition?

If you want to be able to press *criminal* copyright infringement
charges, it's incumbent on *you* to register.  Same thing here.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                                                [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Member of the Technical Staff     Baylink                             RFC 2100
The Suncoast Freenet         The Things I Think
Tampa Bay, Florida        http://baylink.pitas.com             +1 727 647 1274

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