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Unsecured Wi-Fi Open To Neighborhood Hackers

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2008

TAMPA - Frustrated by months of Internet problems, Ellen Gaynor said she was so relieved to get her home wireless service working again that she didn't secure it.

That - and a small white stripe painted in the street outside Gaynor's house - was all the opening someone needed to use her Internet service on the sly, Gaynor said Tuesday.

Tampa police last month arrested Stephen Mann of New Port Richey, who was using a laptop computer in a Toyota outside Gaynor's home on Ancroft Court in Tampa Palms.

The arrest highlights the need to secure wireless computer networks from hackers and others who wish to disguise their online activities, said Paul Henry, a computer forensics specialist in Ocala who often works with law enforcement.

Someone could use your wireless connection to pry into financial records and "surf pornography or, worse, child pornography," Henry said Tuesday. "If the FBI is investigating child pornography, guess whose door they're going to knock on."

Police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said Mann was using Gaynor's wireless access for online gaming. Detectives are investigating his online activities.

Police charged Mann, 25, with committing an offense against computer users. The third-degree felony applies to anyone who accesses a computer, computer system or network without authorization. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Mann is free on $2,000 bail. Attempts to reach him Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Gaynor said police told her the white stripe painted in the street was a tip-off to others seeking free wireless access, "just so they could see where to park."

Stripes and similar markings are common reference points for users who want secret, unsecured access to the Internet, Henry said.

"There are sites you can go to that literally provide you with maps where you can get on the Internet," he said.

People provide information to these sites by "war driving" - driving through neighborhoods with software that collects GPS data and the service set identifier, or SSID, the name assigned to a wireless network, Henry said.

Wireless access at coffee shops and bookstores is not always free or high-speed enough for gamers and too public for people doing something illegal, he said. Plus, "there's always an added thrill to steal it," he said of Internet use.

Gaynor found out about the access to her house after noticing a black Toyota parked around the corner for several days. She didn't recognize the driver, so when she saw a Tampa police officer parked at Compton Park on Oct. 24, she walked over and told the officer about the car.

Davis said the officer drove up to the Toyota, and Mann hastily shut off his laptop and put it on the passenger seat. Police say he later acknowledged intercepting the signal from Gaynor's house.

Henry said people running a wireless network should use encryption technology, such as WPA. At the least, users should shield their SSID from display and type it in every time they go online.

"Unfortunately, many people put convenience above security," he said.

Gaynor said that after Mann's arrest, she secured the wireless router through the manufacturer. She and her husband have not found any problems in their financial records but changed their passwords as a precaution.

"We were secure in minutes," Gaynor said. "I want to just kick myself because it was not a complicated thing to do."

The stripe in the street is also gone, thanks to black spray paint, she said.

HOW IT HAPPENS

Wireless routers provide easy and open access to users. This also means a wireless router that is not secured can be easily hijacked by anyone with a computer in range - sometimes 100 feet or more. That can give hackers access to your computer or let them use your connection to the Internet for illegal purposes.

PROTECTING YOURSELF

Many who purchase Wi-Fi routers don't know the devices come out of the box in an "unsecured" setting until you set the device to be more secure. Here are steps you can take to use wireless more securely - in and out of the home:

>>> When you buy a wireless router, consult the instructions to adjust settings to "Secure" mode.

>>> If your router comes from your Internet service provider, the technicians involved should help you secure it. (Bright House and Verizon provide that service.)

>>> Routers use specific "names" to identify themselves to other devices, so change your router's ID to something new. To hackers, a generic brand name suggests a novice user and vulnerable connection.

>>> You can also set your router to a "hidden" setting, where it only appears as a viable connection to your computers.

>>> Many devices sense and automatically connect to any available wireless signal. To be more secure, configure your device to require your permission to connect.

>>> Install good anti-virus software and a personal firewall.

>>> Avoid doing banking or other transactions through a wireless connection.

>>> Use only devices marked "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED," and use an encryption method called WEP or WPA2.

>>> When working outside the home, make sure you are connecting to a legitimate hot spot. Those that require a password have more protection than those that do not.

>>> For information, go to www.Wi-Fi.org.

News Channel 8 reporter Peter Bernard contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800.

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