No more blaming someone else for downloading that illegal content from your accidentally open wireless access point. California is looking to make sure that all WiFI routers come with a warning.
I love what Engadget has to say about the whole thing:
Assuming the Governator signs Assembly Bill 2415, starting October 1, 2007, your new neighborhood-friendly WiFi router sold in California will have to come with a security warning, a sticker, or “other protection” to alert consumers to the ultra-scary problem of “piggybacking.” As the bill puts it, piggybacking, is “becoming a serious issue for people who reside in densely populated areas.” Funny, because we always thought that free access was the best part about the democratization of WiFi, and most definitely not a “serious issue” — but leave it to the California State Assembly to spoil our fun.
Do you think there is a serious security problem when it comes to wireless routers?
No. The only problem is the people who want everyone to believe its a problem.
I live in San Diego, where wifi leads the world in available hotspots. I have yet to see crowds of terrified people running down Front Street, screaming that the Wifi terror storm is chasing them!
Fight back by keeping it free!
Put a fricking password on your Network, for crying out loud! There are too many babies in the world; I have a secure Network in the middle of the woods, with no one in range of 500 feet. I understand that WEP is not the best security out there, but now they have WPA-PSK(TKIP) and WPA-PSK(AES). Those are even on my PSP! Anyways, people are just looking for more ways to get more money. WiFi should be free, seems how no one has to run servers and stuff, like an ISP or Phone Provider. The only thing that does the work is the router, and that is only $100. So, California can look somewhere else.