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Frequently Asked Questions
WiFi
Unintended use by outsiders?
The default configuration of most Wi-Fi access points provides no protection from unauthorized use of the network. Many business and residential users do not bother to take steps to secure their access points, thus leaving them available for outside users in the area.
Measures to deter unauthorized users include suppressing the AP's Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcast, only allowing computers with known MAC addresses to join the network, and various encryption standards. Older access points frequently don't support adequate security measures to protect against a determined attacker armed with a packet sniffer and the ability to switch MAC addresses. Recreational exploration of other people's access points has become known as wardriving, and the leaving of graffiti describing available services as warchalking.
However, it's also common for people to unintentionally use others' WiFi networks without authorization. Operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X automatically connect to an available wireless network. A user who happens to start up a laptop in the vicinity of an access point may find the computer has joined the network without any visible indication. Moreover, a user intending to join an authorized network may instead end up on an unauthorized one if the latter's signal is stronger. In combination with automatic discovery of other network resources this can lead wireless users to send sensitive data to the wrong destination.
