Re: [PLUG] Verizon FIOS & open wireles

["Brent Saner" <brent.saner@gmail.com>]

also- that article is ANCIENT!

it talks about warchalking being a "new movement" in London...

since then, warchalking has come to the US. and died. in both countries.

it also makes no mention of wpa, and talks about WEP as if it is believed to be secure.

this thing has to be prettttyyy old.

On 10/2/07, Brian Stempin <brian.stempin@gmail.com > wrote:

That number was a rough estimation  that I generated from from my days of war driving.  You do have a point:  I do not have a good source for this.  I didn't spend too long poking around, but I did find this:  http://review.zdnet.com/4520-7297_16-5509700.html

Specifically, this paragraph:
Wardriving as a valid security tool
Fact is, organized wardriving has provided valuable computer security statistics. Speaking at this year's Black Hat Briefing in Las Vegas, Chris Hurley of the WorldWide WarDrive organization found the number of new wireless networks has grown exponentially, from 9,374 networks in September 2002, when the first survey was taken, to 228,537 networks this year, although it should be noted that the survey does not take into consideration intentionally public wireless networks, such as those from wireless cafes. Within the last year, the percentage of those using wireless encryption protocol (WEP) has gone up, from 32 percent one year ago to 38 percent this year, as many companies have started to lock down their wireless networks. However, the number of those using the default wireless settings has actually gone up, from 27 percent last year to 31 percent this year. Hurley said this conflicting piece of information is probably the result of low wireless equipment costs, giving more home users the opportunity to buy a wireless router, then get it running in their homes later that evening. The challenge now is to get them to secure their networks.

The numbers above state that overall, about 40% of WAPs use WEP.  This also takes business into consideration, whereas I only made the claim for residential networks.  This neither confirms nor denies my original number, but still proves my point:  There's a lot of open networks out there.

-- 
Brent Saner
215.264.0112(cell)
215.362.7696(residence)

http://www.thenotebookarmy.org
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