Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Arrested?
Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Arrested?
#1Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Arrested?
Posted: 1/16/07 at 1:16pm
Interesting (and harsh) story..
---
SINGAPORE - A Singaporean teenager who illegally tapped into a neighbor's wireless Internet network — an offense the city-state deems punishable by jail — was placed on 18 months' probation by a district court Tuesday.
The court also ordered Garyl Tan Jia Luo, 17, to carry out 80 hours of community service after he admitted linking his computer to his neighbor's wireless router to access the Internet without permission.
Tan could have been jailed up to three years and fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (US$6,500).
Senior District Judge Bala Reddy cited a probation report as saying Tan had been addicted to Internet gaming at the time of the offense, adding the teenager had "few friends, if not none."
Reddy said Tan should seek "disciplined and structured psychiatric and psychological intervention" to cure his addiction.
Tan is the first Singaporean to have been prosecuted and convicted for tapping illegally into a wireless Internet network, an offense under the Computer Misuse Act, according to Tan's lawyer, Sam Koh.
A second Singaporean is currently facing 60 charges of illegally accessing wireless Internet networks.
#2re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 1:18pm
When I first moved to New York, that was the only way I had Internet service until Time Warner finally got around to coming to my apartment.
They're not going to cane him, are they?
#2re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 1:24pm
No idea.. but I still think the punishment is harsh. While I don't want people taking bandwidth I'm paying for, I wouldn't report anyone, etc. Actually - I have my router secured anyway, so the point is moot. But not so much for the reason to block others from stealing bandwidth as it is to make sure my computer isn't hacked into from somewhere else.
Routers come with plenty of encryption options. Sadly, most consumers just do "plug and play" and don't set up those options because it takes more work/know-how. Not a lot, but enough to make it a challenge for some.
#3re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 1:28pmTo me, not securing your router would be about like leaving a wad of cash on your front lawn and then complaining when somebody takes it. Or a better analogy, leaving it in your apartment hallway, since I wouldn't have to trespass in order to "steal" it.
#4re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 1:35pm
My fianceé used to work as a field tech for a IT outsourcing company. He said approx 60 - 70% of the companies he would visit for the first time would have unsecured networks, and they had no idea. He was dumbfounded!
We payed for a whole vacation a few years ago on the money he made installing wireless networks/securing them for friends/family/co workers/etc.
BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless
SOMMS: I knew it was Tink!
#5re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 2:50pmwow, I can't imagine NOT having my router secure. I may not be the most technical person when it comes to computers, but if it isn't secure, can't people get into your computer itself?
#6re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 2:54pm
"...adding the teenager had "few friends, if not none."
If only! That would give a lot of BWW members a "get-out-of-jail-free" card.
#7re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 3:18pm
Craig, the router I bought now comes with software that ought to make it YOUR Fault for being stupid enough not to encrypt.
You run the CD, plug in the router and the thing AUTORUNS! You create a name for your network and a password and bam.
colleen_lee
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/16/05
#8re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:15pm
If you're dumb enough to not secure your router, then you deserve what you get.
I used to do this all the time at my old apartment buildings. Not anymore as all the people here are apparently smart enough to encrypt.
#9re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:30pmI pick up the signal of like 4 different routers in our HOUSE. Ours is secure and I usually use that one. If, however, someone is on one or more of the other computers in the house, I may use the neighbors connection. They seem to go to bed early.
#10re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 7:13pmI can get 3 other wireless signals in my house as well. Ours hasn't had a password for the past few weeks because we're having wireless issues and waiting to hear back from the ISP about how to finish fixing it.
Wanting life but never knowing how
#11re: Singapore Cracks Down On Internet Sharing: How Many of You Would Get Ar
Posted: 1/16/07 at 7:33pm
I pick up wireless connections all over my building if it's not like locked on something. I use to get the signal from my friend who lives 4 stories up. I personally don't since I use a desktop PC, but the wireless on my laptop does crazy things.
Hand it to Singapore to do something ridiculous like this...oy.
Videos