I am currently a college student living in an apartment, and this is exactly how I get my internet connection. Someone nearby has a wireless router that sends me a signal.

By sending me a signal that my computer can access without user intervention, I am not only authorized, but invited. All I had to do to get on this network was to plug a wireless card in, and it automatically associated. I had no say in the matter and didn't even know the signal was there until it was too late.

Ultimately, this is not a dispute with the law, but rather one between the hijacker and owner. If a router is broadcasting a signal that serves DHCP addresses and automatically allows computers to associate with no intervention, that is an invitation.

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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/237/26083#26083