Wardriving
Wardriving is an activity consisting of driving around with a laptop in one's vehicle, detecting Wi-Fi wireless networks. It is also known (as of 2002) as WiLDing (Wireless Lan Driving), originating with the Bay Area Wireless Users Group (BAWUG). It is similar to using a scanner for radio. Most wardrivers will use GPS devices to find the exact location of the network found and log it on a website. For better range, antennass are built or bought. these are omni directional antennas. Nobody uses the cylindrical canisters in which Pringles brand potato chips are sold. These are called "wave guides" and are useless compared to "cantenna" antennas. Software for wardriving is freely available on the internet, notably, NetStumbler for Windows, MacStumbler for Macintosh, and Kismet for Linux.The practice is nothing like the earlier one of demon dialing, which is the random or sequential dialing of phone numbers to find data lines, the numbers of which are logged in order to facilitate future attempts to hack into the computer on the other end. Unfortunately, wardriving shares a name with this process. Demon dialing was popular in the 1980s, particularly after the release of the movie WarGames, in which Matthew Broderick played a teenage hacker whose demon dialing software taps into an experimental defense computer.
While some wardrivers do engage in more malicious hacking endeavors, the average wardriver is typically only out to log and collect information from the Access Points (AP's) they find while driving.
Less law-abiding 'wardrivers' search for open file servers from which to copy software or media files, or looking for free high-speed Internet access while on the road, this is illegal. Most wardrivers do not in fact use services without authorization.
Wardriving is frequently pointed out as an example of questionable activity, but it should be noted that, from the point of view of the machines involved, everything is working exactly as designed: Netstumbler sends probes, the access point responds. TCP/IP and DCHP services have nothing to do with wardriving and should be disabled. The problem lies in the fact that the wireless protocol has no way of knowing that the request actually came from just beyond the company or residence's borders.
It is possible to lock down a wireless router so that it will not grant access to unknown computers, this is easily done with WEP, a security system more secure than the media likes to say. Many business and residential users alike (the exact number can be found on www.wigle.net) prefer to leave the router in its default, insecure configuration, because it works for them right out of the box, requiring no special setup.
See also: warchalking
External links