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Strings Attached To Wireless Internet

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: March 15, 2009

The advent of the Internet opened a gateway to limitless information.

But it started with physical limitations. Namely, anyone accessing it was anchored to a home computer.

Then "wireless" technology arrived and the Internet became truly boundless. Laptop computers gave way to cell phones and other devices that make accessing the Internet as easy as reaching into your pocket.

Like most technology, however, the Internet can be used to help or harm.

This week a Brooksville man was arrested after detectives say they discovered child pornography on a portable gaming device in his possession. Daniel Staats, 44, reportedly told detectives he downloaded the images using wireless Internet outside a hotel.

Staats was also charged with unlawful access to a computer network, a felony.

The arrest is thought to be the first of its type in Hernando County, but hijacking wireless Internet for illicit purposes is gaining traction across the country. Here's why:

All computers accessing the Internet are assigned a unique "internet protocol" address, which identifies the specific computer using the network.

Using public "WiFi" is appealing to criminals because it clouds their online tracks. Instead of one home with one computer tapping into the Internet, there are dozens of IP addresses using a single service.

"It puts another layer into (law enforcement's) investigation," said John Shehan, director of the Exploited Child Division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Peeling Back The Anonymity

For all its anonymity, though, it's tough to truly hide on the Internet. It's not uncommon for people who trade in child pornography to use the same screen name to sell their drum kit on eBay, Shehan said.

Time means nothing on the Internet. There are identifying pockets of information online older than a decade that can be traced back to a person, Shehan said.

"It's all archived," Sheehan said. "The Internet knows no boundaries."

Federal legislation was introduced last month that would require Internet service providers to keep records of their subscribers' Web surfing for two years.

The premise behind the Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act of 2009, or Internet Safety Act for short, is that it would provide a tool for law enforcement to use when investigating sex crimes against children.

Critics argue it intrudes on the privacy citizens expect when surfing online.

Tapping Into Neighborhood Hot Spots

It's not just businesses that are vulnerable to users piggybacking on their wireless connection. If a home connection is unsecured, folks can sit outside a house with a laptop and take advantage of free Internet that way, too.

That also opens the door to saved passwords in your system, including online bank accounts. But it also brings investigators to your door when someone downloads child pornography using your connection.

Locating homes with wireless Internet begins by downloading free software online that detects hot spots. The next step is to cruise the streets and use satellite technology to map where those homes are.

It's a process called "war driving" and it's easily accomplished, said Patrick Ryan, adjunct professor of telecommunications at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Ryan compares wireless security to a public park. Sometimes there's a fence around the park, but no gate. Other times the gate has a latch, but no lock. Only when there's strong security does a user "hop the fence" and hack into a system.

Some wireless hot spots are more guarded and require a subscription service, such as Starbucks. It's less likely a criminal will hack into that system because it requires identifying information. Other services only require the user to agree to a terms and services agreement.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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