Forum Home
PC World Chat
 
Thread ID: 116807 2011-03-21 06:40:00 Wifi hacking legal 64etert (15489) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1188006 2011-03-21 06:40:00 I couldn't believe what I was reading:

www.pcworld.com

I get it though. A router is not a computer system. The law is out dated.

Here in New Zealand a guy was arrested for allegedly stealing wifi:

www.newstalkzb.co.nz

What does New Zealand law define a computer system as? 		64etert (15489)
1188007 2011-03-21 07:33:00 He broke the law not because it was a computer system, but stealing a closed service! SolMiester (139)
1188008 2011-03-21 08:28:00 S248



Interpretation

*

For the purposes of this section and sections 249 and 250,—

access, in relation to any computer system, means instruct, communicate with, store data in, receive data from, or otherwise make use of any of the resources of the computer system

computer system—
o

(a) means—
+

(i) a computer; or
+

(ii) 2 or more interconnected computers; or
+

(iii) any communication links between computers or to remote terminals or another device; or
+

(iv) 2 or more interconnected computers combined with any communication links between computers or to remote terminals or any other device; and
o

(b) includes any part of the items described in paragraph (a) and all related input, output, processing, storage, software, or communication facilities, and stored data.

Section 248: substituted, on 1 October 2003, by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).

Source: legislation.govt.nz

S252


Accessing computer system without authorisation

*

(1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally accesses, directly or indirectly, any computer system without authorisation, knowing that he or she is not authorised to access that computer system, or being reckless as to whether or not he or she is authorised to access that computer system.

(2) To avoid doubt, subsection (1) does not apply if a person who is authorised to access a computer system accesses that computer system for a purpose other than the one for which that person was given access.

(3) To avoid doubt, subsection (1) does not apply if access to a computer system is gained by a law enforcement agency—
o

(a) under the execution of an interception warrant or search warrant; or
o

(b) under the authority of any Act or rule of the common law.
Source: legislation.govt.nz

I'm not a lawyer, but it sounds like in NZ this would still be illegal, since a wireless network counts as a "communication links between computers or to remote terminals or another device", and using someone's network without their permission would fall under section 252 of the Crimes Act. 		somebody (208)
1188009 2011-03-21 09:31:00 The ruling made by the judge was in the Dutch court. Bobh (5192)
1188010 2011-03-21 10:17:00 By the time the world legislates to stop wifi crackers, we'll be onto debating whether or not stealing people's teleport flux trails for personal redirection is right.

And a router is a pc. It has an OS, and they CAN be used for storing bits and bytes. I mean hell, you could be stupid and stick something in the Message of the day that was sensitive. Stupid, but it'd still be something stored.

Screw you, globally outdated legal systems. 		8ftmetalhaed (14526)
1188011 2011-03-21 18:43:00 In the end of it though, not our problem.


I Wounder how they found him out? 		The Error Guy (14052)
1188012 2011-03-21 19:47:00 In the end of it though, not our problem.


I Wounder how they found him out?

It appears like a case of neigbourhood watch coming to the fore. He was seen acting suspiciously and was reported by a member of the public. 		Bobh (5192)
1188013 2011-03-21 23:37:00 Fail then. Breaks WPA or WPA2 (i'm assuming it wasn't WEP) then gets caught because he was suspicious :p The Error Guy (14052)
1