A new type of criminal for a new media environment:
Half-naked driver faces Net charge
London Press
22 Nov. 2003
A news article detailing the arrest of a man found driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Turns out he had no pants on, and was busy downloading child pornography images onto a laptop, by illegally tapping into the wireless computer network at a nearby house. Usually pretty well untraceable.
It’s a new type of offence (not the porn or the bad driving, but the wireless internet theft) that’s been given the name ‘War Driving’ (by whom, or for what purpose remains unclear). It involves using a laptop and a wireless adaptor card with an antenna that allows access to networks with poor security (ie: most home wireless networks) from anywhere up to 300 metres away.
Walter Nowakowski, 36, was charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, distributing child pornography, making child pornography and theft of telecommunications.
No charges for his poor sense of direction or sartorial lapse.
