A Can of Chips can Spell Trouble

Cantenna.. The most commonly used, home brewed Wireless access Antenna. Well that is how I would define it. Anyone serious about Wireless usage and willing to experiment a bit has built one. If you dont' know what I am talking about.. well you are not a geek is all I can say. In my experience anyone who has tried a bit of wardriving, or even detection of remote networks would have used a cantenna, but hear this

"Last month in Elk Grove, a high-school student faced eight felony computer-theft charges for allegedly hacking into his school's computer system and changing his grades.

When police searched his home, they found aluminum-lined, cylindrical potato-chip containers that some hackers use as crude antennas to help them intercept wireless signals."

This happened in the Sacramento Bay area in the US. Well what do we learn from this.. not that the can can (ah that sounds funny) can can create a problem, but secure your wireless networks.

All wireless routers that you pick at the store, are capable of sending a signal to some distance outside of your home or office, and by default, these devices (which they call plug and play) don't come with any security enabled. You need to enable security.

So.. go wireless.. but be secure.. G