wardriving
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Smart collar turns your cat into a WiFi hacking weapon
Forget Trojan horses -- it's the cats you have to worry about. Security engineer Gene Bransfield has developed WarKitteh, a tech-laden collar that turns feline companions into scouts for WiFi hackers. The innocuous-looking accessory hides a Spark Core board that maps wireless networks and their vulnerabilities wherever the pet wanders. If used in the field, the technology would be pretty sneaky; the cat stalking mice in your backyard could represent the prelude to an attack on your wireless router.
NSA can hack WiFi devices from eight miles away (video)
The NSA may have the ability to intercept data from around the world, but we now know that it has some impressive (and intimidating) equipment for snooping on nearby targets. Security guru Jacob Appelbaum told those at the Chaos Communications Congress this weekend that the NSA's big box of tools includes Nightstand, a custom device that can compromise WiFi networks for the sake of inserting spy software. The Linux-powered device can exploit Windows systems from up to eight miles away; it's unlikely that you'll catch agents wardriving in the parking lot. Nightstand may not see significant use today given that it dates back to 2008, but its existence suggests that the NSA also has newer, more advanced WiFi surveillance gear at its disposal.
Justice Department clears Google of WiFi wiretapping violations
Two years ago, Google drove its way into a fair amount of hot water when it accidentally (as was claimed) scooped up private data over WiFi while collecting Street View and location data. Now, the Justice Department has cleared the prolific mapsters of the wiretapping violations. The DOJ made its decision not to push for prosecution based on reports from employees and investigating key documents reports Wired. The Wiretap Act (which is the relevant one here) was argued to only pertain to "traditional radio services," by US District Judge James Ware, but neither the DOJ or FCC said they could find any evidence that Google accessed the date it snared. In an extra move of openness, the search giant has also released the entire FCC report on the Street View investigation (redacted to protect identities) which can be found in the more coverage link. So, next time you see the famous camera-topped wagons roll around, you can leave your tin hat in the closet.
FTC accepts Google's privacy apology, lets Street View off the hook
When Google admitted its Street View cars had collected sensitive data after all, it sparked a new formal inquiry in the UK, but the very same apology was just what the Federal Trade Commission needed to drop an investigation in the USA. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection wrote Google a formal letter today noting "concerns about the internal policies and procedures that gave rise to this data collection," but satisfaction that the company's agreed to change all that and appoint a director of privacy. "Because of these commitments, we are ending our inquiry into this matter at this time," the document reads. Does that mean we can stop using this picture of Ross' old apartment in our posts? Only time will tell.
Google's wardriving days are over, says Canadian privacy commissioner
When Google's Street View cars glide through your neighborhood next, you can leave the WPA2 encryption off -- Canada says that the company has "discontinued" the practice of snooping on unsecured WiFi networks with its mapping vehicles, and "has no plans to resume it." That's one of several findings in a report by Canada's privacy commissioner today, which also claims that the controversial data collection feature was the work of a single Google engineer, and that Google intends to use smartphones to pinpoint WiFi networks from now on. Naturally, the latter caused the commissioner concern that Android phones might capture the same data as the cars. Perhaps you'd best keep those shields up after all.
Video: Hacker war drives San Francisco cloning RFID passports
Think of it this way: Chris Paget just did you a service by hacking your passport and stealing your identity. Using a $250 Motorola RFID reader and antenna connected to his laptop, Chris recently drove around San Francisco reading RFID tags from passports, driver licenses, and other identity documents. In just 20 minutes, he found and cloned the passports of two very unaware US citizens. Fortunately, Chris wears a white hat; his video demonstration is meant to raise awareness to what he calls the unsuitability of RFID for tagging people. Specifically, he's hoping to help get the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative -- a homeland security project -- scrapped. Perhaps you'll feel the same after watching his video posted after the break. Read -- Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Read -- RFID passports cloned
CarTel uses wardriving for science, better driving directions
If you're not satisfied with the driving directions you get on Google Maps, a few smart guys at MIT have created an elaborate new toy called CarTel just for you. They've equipped a fleet of Boston-area cars with computers that automatically connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit, then send home data recorded by their on board diagnostic systems, all in just a few hundred milliseconds. The result: a website that gives you directions based on information gathered in real-time so you can avoid high-traffic areas or say, if it's raining, roads which have historically been congested in adverse weather conditions -- no GPS required. The project also keeps a record of all access points detected, so think of it as wardriving for the good of humanity -- and you (probably) wouldn't even get arrested for participating![Via PhysOrg]
The Slurpr WiFi aggregator promises "free" broadband -- and jail time
Oh my, the 5-0 won't like this one bit. Meet The Slurpr, a WiFi access point which aggregates up to six "available" (read: unprotected) 54Mbps WiFi channels into one bigazz, "free" connection. It's the latest invention by Dutch hacker, Mark Hoekstra and his new sidekick (or is it the other way around?) Boris. Of course, use of the Slurpr in its current incarnation will likely violate wardriving laws in at least few countries. So the inclusion of Mark's next feature -- 64/128-bit WEP-cracking -- could well land you in a Turkish prison. Still interested, Billy? Then head on over to Mark's site where you can pre-order the €999 / $1,347 box today. [Via Bomega]
Cario concept notebook: the wardriver's best friend
Even though it's pretty obvious that Anna Lopez's Cario concept notebook is only meant to be used while parked outside your local NeighborFi hotspot, there are enough idiots out there who would be surfing while driving (never an Engadget reader, of course) that we kind of hope the design lives and dies as a CAD file on Ms. Lopez's PC. Only slightly less dangerous than some of the in-car offices we've seen, the Cario seems to use its lid for support while the user types at a rather uncomfortable angle directly on the screen -- if ever a product screamed for a Bluetooth keyboard, it's this one right here. All in all not a bad idea for those unfortunate individuals who work out of their cars, and despite the fact that we already have a pretty snazzy in-dash PC, we're starting to regret the fact that we replaced our factory steering wheel with one of those tiny, Cario-incompatible chain link numbers. Fashion over function, ya know?[Via jkOTR]
Wartoddling: The next generation of wardriving
What do you get when you combine a standard WiFi wardriving system with a baby carriage? When you take advantage of an iBook with a USB WiFi adapter and the power of OS X's text-to-speech? Wartoddling, I suppose. It's a little more frightening than it is cute. Me? I'd have used a cuter voice (the one in the video is kind of scary) and maybe stuck some pink ribbons on the thing, but to each their own. This rig was built for and demonstrated at the Toronto 2600 midmeet.
Wardriver arrested for snagging coffee shop signal
In yet another blow to freeloaders wardrivers nationwide, one of their most active participants was recently arrested and charged with theft of services after leeching off an unsecured network at Vancouver, WA's Brewed Awakenings coffee house for over three months. According to store employees, 20-year-old Internet enthusiast Alexander Eric Smith (actually the second Smith we've seen nailed for this crime) would regularly park his truck in the customer parking lot and tap into their signal, even though he reportedly had never actually been inside to buy anything -- which was apparently okay for three months, but suddenly turned into something one worker described as "borderline creepy." Hey Alex, it's called wardriving for a reason -- it's one thing to be cheap, but this is what you get for being lazy and not switching it up a bit.[Via The Wireless Report]
