Is "Piggybacking" A Wireless Signal Illegal?
Wireless Signals Without Security..No WEP Key or WPA
Public Comments
- Very much so. It's actually criminal. Like theft.
- If it is without consent, then yes. It is considered hacking, and you can be arrested if caught.
- Without the consent of the owner of that signal, yes. It's considered network "hijacking," or infiltering a private system.
- Yes, various telecomms laws can be used to prosecute offenders. Put it this way: just because somebody leaves their front door open does not give you the right to walk in and help yourself to their fridge. There have been prosecutions already - one in Ealing, London and a couple in the USA.
- no not yet, but it is in debate among lawmakers, since technically you are stealing peoples bandwidth. edit:depends on where you live
- it's not illegal, but it's not polite, either
- Yes
- I don't know. I don't know why it would be. It's my job to secure my broadband if I don't want to pay for it and share it with others.
- format c:
- Yes it is completely illegal. It's like plugging your appliances into the electric socket on your neighbor's house. People have been arrested and convicted for it. Less then a month ago a guy got arrested for parking outside a Starbucks every day for over a month to pilfer their wireless connection.
