Routers in Cali Must Now Have Security Warnings
- September 1st, 2006
- 3 Comments
According to a new California law, any device “that includes an integrated and enabled wireless access point…[that] is manufactured on or after October 1, 2007, for use in a small office, home office, or residential setting, and that is used in a federally unlicensed spectrum,” will have to include some a warning about the dangers of not securing your wireless network. The warning can come in the form of a piece of paper, sticker, or software that explains what could be going on if you leave your wireless network vulnerable and how you can secure yourself against it.
This sorta makes sense to me. I’m not really sure how companies have been getting away with not doing it for this long. Of course, my internet’s down today so I’m pretty grateful that at least one person in my building doesn’t know anything about this.
Edit: I’m kind of on the fence about this one. The dangers of not securing one’s home network seem to be pretty obvious to me. I think this will just be fodder for the RIAA. With people getting out of lawsuits by simply stating that they have an open network, I can see the RIAA jumping on this and saying, “Well there is no excuse, because you had a warning.” Do you all think this will affect those cases at all? - Blake
California Law Passes, Requires Routers to Come with Security Warning [Gizmodo]
MaggieL (Who am I?)
2 years ago
The dangers of securing one’s home network seem to be pretty obvious to me.
The only more obvious danges are the dangers of not securing one’s home network. :-)
Blake Robinson (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Oh how embarrassing! Thanks Maggie.
Michael Vincent Wood (Who am I?)
2 years ago
ther will still be a way around it.i do something that will be a lupol for this. my setup goes as follows.
{cable modem}>hardware firewall>{linksys wired router}>hardware firewall> {wireless router}
this is because i have a neighbor who ive made an agreement with where when im not home(or asleep) i plug in the wireless router.he then can use the wireless next door.(he pays me for access)but when i am home, the wireless router is turned off and i get all the bandwidth. so i could tell the riaa that and they would not be able to me because my isp is ok with open wireless and all i have to do is say that it was on my open wireless, while i wasnt home.
hahahaha screw you RIAA