Theft of Internet connections becoming more common

Although Luis pays his $40-a-month bill to Cox Communications for his Internet, he said he didn’t have time to call the company when he was having problems with his Internet connection.

Instead, he simply searched for another wireless connection in his apartment complex in Gainesville.

Once he found an unsecured connection, he used it. Illegally.

“I needed it to look things up for research,” he said. “I’m kind of lost without the Internet.”

He finished his work and checked his e-mail all from someone’s wireless connection.

Mike Phillips, the agent supervisor of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Florida Computer Crime Center, said most Internet theft occurs in residential areas and apartment complexes.

“It happens all the time, and I think it happens too often,” he said.

He said residents pay for the Internet, buy a wireless router but don’t set up passwords or security to prevent others from stealing the connection.

Source: Gainesville Sun

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 27th, 2008 at 7:51 am and is filed under Privacy, Search News, Technology and Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.