Re: [tlug] WiFi considerations

["Josh Glover" <jmglov@example.com>]

On 13/07/07, Keith Bawden <keith@example.com> wrote:

> Ignorance is no defence in a court of law.

Ignorance *of the law* is no defence; ignorance of your home
networking equipment probably is. Think about it; these things are
being marketed as consumer appliances, and quite frankly no-one
expects the consumer to even be able to set his VCR clock (do people
still know what a VCR is?), let alone secure his WLAN.

I could not imagine someone being convicted of a crime because his
Windows PC was owned and stuck in a botnet; neither could I imagine
someone being convicted because some wardriver used his network to do
some dirty deeds, dirt cheap.

Now I imagine that you or I would have a harder time with that
defence, given what we do for a living. But still; I think the
prosecutor would have to prove that it was *you* committing the crime,
not just your equipment being used. After all, in the US where owning
a gun is legal, you cannot be charged with a crime if that weapon is
used in a murder unless they can prove you dunnit. Or unless you
happen to be Not White...

Oh, was that last bit out loud? Sorry.

--
Cheers,
Josh