Imagine sitting in your living room. You’re comfortably situated in your favorite chair reading a book or enjoying a television program. At your side is a refreshing drink and a bowl of chips or popcorn. You’re set—everything is ready for you to enjoy this afternoon.

That is, until your neighbor walks in unannounced. With a jolly salutation, he commences dragging in a long, orange extension cord. After jostling you around a bit, he plugs in the cord, waves farewell, and leaves without closing the door. Your curiosity aroused, you rise from your chair and follow to see what’s the matter. Once on your porch, you notice that your neighbor’s power cord connects to his house, providing him with free electricity.

Sounds audacious, but a similar activity could be happening right now. If you have wireless networks in your home—or business—you could be providing free internet access to anyone who can pick up your signal.

Wardriving

Wardriving is a term coined after the movie Wargames. The movie revolves around a young computer expert who uses his computer to dial random numbers, looking for a system to break into. Today, wardriving refers to people using their computer’s wireless capacities—as well as other programs and tools—to find wireless networks that they can identify and infiltrate.

And it’s not that hard. Wireless networks work very similarly to a radio station, only on a much smaller scale. Computers with wireless capability share information over radio waves. These waves are sent to a central device, called an access point. The access point allows numerous computers to connect together or to connect to the internet.

Enter wardriving. The access point emits radio frequencies that can be captured by any wireless capable computer. But the wireless network only functions within the confines of the building, right? Not necessarily. While access points may not have the power of a radio station, sending out its message over miles, many access point radio waves can be detected from up to several hundred feet away. Wardrivers and even unsuspecting neighbors can access and use your wireless network.