Secure your wireless network, or it might send spam

Here is an article which talks about the need for securing your wireless network so that it isn't maliciously used to send out spam.

It raises the point that a spammer has already been arrested for doing just that - he drove around until he found open wireless networks, and then used those to send out spam. The person running the network is the one that then gets in trouble until more research is done.

If you live in an area where someone can access your signal easily (you have houses/roads nearby), then this is definitely something worth addressing. Note that even if you don't live near people, it is still feasible that someone can pick up the signal with a good antenna - but it isn't a particularly high risk (it takes knowledge, money, and the desire to do so - which doesn't mean nobody will do it, but if they aren't in your area the threat isn't terribly high - it is just a matter of whether you want to risk it).

What the article doesn't mention are those who spam and do so from their own wireless network left unsecured. Then if/when they get in trouble, they point to the unsecured wireless network and claim that it wasn't them but must have been "hackers".
I believe that falls under plausible deniability.

Posted by Eric at February 28, 2005 01:39 PM | TrackBack