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Do you use Wi-Fi? Do you use it responsibly?
A coalition of local tech and security groups (led by a new local security group called Secure `IKE) are going to be fanning out all over Oahu on Saturday, May 29 for a coordinated wireless war drive to conduct an unofficial but significant audit of wireless use in Honolulu and overall security practices.
We know from previous articles and news segments that the city is rife with home Wi-Fi systems that are wide open and configured with the default settings they came with. A drive through Makiki would net dozens of signals on each block. Well, this war drive will cover the largest area yet, and will hopefully yield real-world data that can help promote user awareness of unsecured wireless networks and promote safe computing practices.
An informational command center will be set up at the Kahala Starbucks, and the operational center will be at HPU.
Eventually, there'll be a presentation on May 17 (location TBA) to present summary statistics and other information to the public. The event also will be documented for the OC16 tech show, "Flavors of Technology."
No, they won't be hacking into anyone's systems... just seeing where Wi-Fi networks are most prevalent and how many folks are leaving their proverbial doors unlocked. Participants will sign a non-disclosure agreement and turn in all data collected, and several local agencies will be asked to participate in the analysis and interpretation of the data.
The initial announcement of the war drive can be found here.
I think this is a neat idea. I've seen lots of anecdotal stories about open Wi-Fi networks in crowded neighborhoods (and know more than a few people who benefit from them!), but few go beyond the typical "isn't this interesting?" level. It'd be good to know on a more scientific basis just how much more education is needed (although the folks who leech of their neighbors will probably be a bit miffed).
A coalition of local tech and security groups (led by a new local security group called Secure `IKE) are going to be fanning out all over Oahu on Saturday, May 29 for a coordinated wireless war drive to conduct an unofficial but significant audit of wireless use in Honolulu and overall security practices.
We know from previous articles and news segments that the city is rife with home Wi-Fi systems that are wide open and configured with the default settings they came with. A drive through Makiki would net dozens of signals on each block. Well, this war drive will cover the largest area yet, and will hopefully yield real-world data that can help promote user awareness of unsecured wireless networks and promote safe computing practices.
An informational command center will be set up at the Kahala Starbucks, and the operational center will be at HPU.
Eventually, there'll be a presentation on May 17 (location TBA) to present summary statistics and other information to the public. The event also will be documented for the OC16 tech show, "Flavors of Technology."
No, they won't be hacking into anyone's systems... just seeing where Wi-Fi networks are most prevalent and how many folks are leaving their proverbial doors unlocked. Participants will sign a non-disclosure agreement and turn in all data collected, and several local agencies will be asked to participate in the analysis and interpretation of the data.
The initial announcement of the war drive can be found here.
I think this is a neat idea. I've seen lots of anecdotal stories about open Wi-Fi networks in crowded neighborhoods (and know more than a few people who benefit from them!), but few go beyond the typical "isn't this interesting?" level. It'd be good to know on a more scientific basis just how much more education is needed (although the folks who leech of their neighbors will probably be a bit miffed).
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