Glad to see community support officers are working hard to crack down on serious crime

FFS whats this country coming too

Man arrested for stealing broadband - Yahoo! News UK

I dont see a problem with it (the PCSO catching him, not the free wi-fi) :confused:

Glad to see community support officers are working hard to crack down on serious crime

FFS whats this country coming too

Man arrested for stealing broadband - Yahoo! News UK

What are they supposed to do when they see something like this in front of him?

Of course they were right to deal with the matter.

Should the CPS have dropped it before it went to court?

Possibly , but that's an entirely different thing

Piggybacking off someone else's broadband is an excellent way of perpetrating larger internet related crimes such as fraud, etc without linking them to you.

Chris

good on them for nicking him, thievings thieving at teh end of the day.

but then again how long before someone like myself gets done for nicking electric when i charge the batteries for my drill or something?

It is possibly the users own fault for not keeping his lap top secure. Do not get me wrong, I have no time for people that hack in to others broadband, but the information to prevent this from happening is freely, and easilly availiable.

The only broadband connections that are hijacked, are the ones with out the proper security.

Soviet.

At the end of the day he's committing an offence and using facilities that someone else has got up off their ar$e and paid for. Would you mind if he was tapping into your electricity/water/gas/sky supply?

It is possibly the users own fault for not keeping his lap top secure. Do not get me wrong, I have no time for people that hack in to others broadband, but the information to prevent this from happening is freely, and easilly availiable.

The only broadband connections that are hijacked, are the ones with out the proper security.

Soviet.

don't be so stupid mate, your nomally so sensible. if you leave your your front door unlocked but closed and someone walks in and takes every last thing in your house its your fault is it?

there's no such thing as "asking" for theft, only dirty little thieves taking liberties.

if you leave your your front door unlocked but closed and someone walks in and takes every last thing in your house its your fault is it?

Your insurance company would probably say it is.

Rob.

don't be so stupid mate, your nomally so sensible. if you leave your your front door unlocked but closed and someone walks in and takes every last thing in your house its your fault is it?

there's no such thing as "asking" for theft, only dirty little thieves taking liberties.

I must say that I pity the person, but the ordinary person these days needs to get street wise, to what is an ever increasing problem. WEP is not always a good enough system to be using these days, and I suspect that this is what he had.

Normally Soviet is sensible.

WEP is not always a good enough system to be using these days, and I suspect that this is what he had.

You'd be amazed (or maybe you wouldn't! ) at the number of wireless networks about which have no security set up at all! Like all things you can spend ages nailing it all down, but even then if someone wants to get in they will. Simple deterrents work best and I suspect that most people who steal broadband are just opportunists and very bad liars and would not bother hacking in ... it's really not worth the effort involved

Chris

You'd be amazed (or maybe you wouldn't! ) at the number of wireless networks about which have no security set up at all! Like all things you can spend ages nailing it all down, but even then if someone wants to get in they will. Simple deterrents work best and I suspect that most people who steal broadband are just opportunists and very bad liars and would not bother hacking in ... it's really not worth the effort involved

Chris

I echo that Chris, as you are correct that many have no security at all. I do not want to be appearing as the hard one, but there is no excuse for ignorance. The computer is a good tool to be using, but one would not use a portable grinder with out goggles, and so the tool that is the computer needs to be safely secure. 'Using for example'.

Soviet:thumbup:

If all encryption is off then I'm sorry but I don't see it as a crime. I know a network that is set up exactly on this principle to provide free coverage to large numbers of people at a very low bandwidth.

If the guy cracked WEP/WPA then fair enough, but if not I can't see how this made it to court.

encryption has nothing to do with it, using/taking somethign that you have no right or permission to do so is theft/tresspass. if you came home to find that someone was in your back garden using your padlding pool and sitting on your garden furniture would politely ask them to leave or is it your fault because you don't have anti-climb paint, barbed wire and a security firm keeping a constant vigil over your garden?

what your saying is that leaving your window/door open in your house then being robbed isn't actually a crime as you didn't lock the door

I have WPA2-PSK encription on my wireless braodband, but it'd surprising how many houses in my street don't have any basic security set up.... I can scan for a network and there must be at least 5 that show up none.

I have the computer set up so it won't connect to any other networks on startup.

I know it's wrong to use the broadband like that, but some blame has to go with people who don't set up any security, most routers will take you through the setup stage and sort out the security. I'm not that good with all this stuff but my Netgear basically set itself up and I followed the screen prompts.

Ben

That's an interesting point there, Ben! What about people whose computers automagically pick the first network they come to? to the average user, as long as they have a net connection they won't know or care the source of it, but I guess ignorance is no defence in the eyes of the law.

Chris

Glad to see community support officers are working hard to crack down on serious crime

FFS whats this country coming too

Man arrested for stealing broadband - Yahoo! News UK

they arrested a bloke for breaking the law? whatever next :eek: this country really is doomed when you can't partake of some "victimless crime" without getting you collar felt :thumbdwn:

they arrested a bloke for breaking the law? whatever next :eek: this country really is doomed when you can't partake of some "victimless crime" without getting you collar felt :thumbdwn:

But there is a victim, the ISP who is having to pay for the connection and bandwidth if its unlimited usage, or the punter its not unlimited.

Not sure why a PCSO was arresting mind, but heyho.

FFS whats this country coming too

:iagree:

if they have no security set up on it then it serves them right. if they have wep/wpa set up with mac filter etc then i have symphty for broadband owner.

all of you that say they deserved it for having no security are being stupid in my opinion and i hope that some nice person finds one of your windows/doors unlocked so that they can take things with no consequences as its your own stupid fault for leaving it unlocked.

the law says you cannot use wireless connections without consent and doing so is breaking the law, so if you get caught doing it why should you get away with it?

But there is a victim, the ISP who is having to pay for the connection and bandwidth if its unlimited usage, or the punter its not unlimited.

Not sure why a PCSO was arresting mind, but heyho.

i think he might have being sarcastic

all of you that say they deserved it for having no security are being stupid in my opinion and i hope that some nice person finds one of your windows/doors unlocked so that they can take things with no consequences as its your own stupid fault for leaving it unlocked.

the law says you cannot use wireless connections without consent and doing so is breaking the law, so if you get caught doing it why should you get away with it?

Isn't there a subtle difference between burglary and stealing your wireless internet connection?

all of you that say they deserved it for having no security are being stupid in my opinion and i hope that some nice person finds one of your windows/doors unlocked so that they can take things with no consequences as its your own stupid fault for leaving it unlocked.

Yeap thats correct, i have no symphathy for those who leave their doors/windows open and then go out either, but thats 'my personal opinion'.

Isn't there a subtle difference between burglary and stealing your wireless internet connection?

they are both theft aren't they?