By Scott Aurnou
Computer networks can be threatened by a host of potentially unexpected sources. Some of these start with ‘wardriving.’ Naturally, this begs a few questions…
What is ‘wardriving’? Literally speaking, it refers to hackers driving around with laptops or mobile devices connected to high-powered antennas, scanning for unlocked (i.e., no password needed for access) or poorly protected networks. The name is a variant on ‘wardialing,’ which was inspired by a scene in the movie WarGames in which the lead character used an old-style telephone modem to search for open computer networks. Strictly speaking, wardrivers log and collect wireless network info, without actually jumping onto the networks. Using another’s network without permission is called ‘piggybacking.’
What can wardriving lead to? Wardriving is often used to locate networks vulnerable to attack. If hackers identify yours as unlocked or relatively unprotected, they can download malware onto the system and/or surreptitiously search the computers and devices connected to the network for personal, company and financial data, log in credentials, passwords, etc. One relatively common scam involves spotting a vulnerable network via wardriving, infiltrating it to steal online banking log in information and then using it to transfer or withdraw funds from the company’s accounts.
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