Open wlan exposed...

[Soybomb]

Heh nope didn't read that one, subject line just didn't pull me in....although one might argue mine tries to approach a different set of issues even though it uses that article as a springboard into the subject.......ahhh well :D

[FAWCR]

Congrats...you have started a new thread for an existing topic in the same area....I'm so glad that you read before you post....http://forum.defcon.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1817

[Soybomb]

So I was reading this link off slashdot and noticed the paper wrote "sing a laptop with a wireless card outside the district's main office, the Weekly gained access to such data as grades, home phone numbers and addresses, emergency medical information complete with full-color photos of students and a psychological evaluation." Later in the article they mention that they informed the school about the situation.

Certainly such articles would bring wireless security issues to a more public light. Is it the newspapers job to tresspass on their network any more than it is for them to be trying to exploit a web server's vulnerability to see what personal information they can get out of them? Will more media start doing this to get an easy story sure to inflame a few people? Will they get sued for their actions?

In a way I think there are some positive things that can come from this, especially protection of the students privacy, but I'm not sure I feel like it is their place to be the ones to do it. I certainly don't think its safe legal ground, although perhaps public backlash in the event of a lawsuit makes them more comfortable doing it. Just curious what the rest of you think.