UK P2P Crackdown to Fuel Wi-Fi Hijacking?

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UK P2P Crackdown to Fuel Wi-Fi Hijacking?

Illegal file-sharers who get their accounts terminated by ISPs may resort to piggybacking on other people's unprotected wi-fi access points and lead to complications in enforcing new plan.

After recent news points to the distinct possibility that British ISPs just may become de facto copyright police for UK authorities after all, network security firm Sophos warns of an impending explosion in the number of people illegally piggybacking on other people's Wi-Fi internet service.

For Security firm Sophos points out that the UK government's proposal to make ISPs ban illegal file-sharers from the internet will mean that some people will inevitably be looking for alternatives after being blacklisted for infractions of copyright laws. It predicts that the plan will ultimately cause headaches for ISPs and Wi-Fi users, as users could claim that other people have been illegally piggybacking on their internet services.

Last November, a Sophos poll of 560 computer users revealed that 54 percent have stolen Wi-Fi internet access in the past.

"Pressure is being put on ISPs to take action, but an open Wi-Fi hotspot may mean that it is you who ends up disconnected from the net while your next door neighbor is happily watching the Hollywood blockbuster they stole via your internet connection," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

"People who illegally download from the net material they haven't paid for aren't going to have any qualms about stealing someone else's internet connection. The widespread scale of the problem not only means that there are likely to be victims, but it also gives those people who have been making illegal downloads a plausible defense."

Under a 'three-strikes' regime, customers making illegal downloads will first receive an email warning, then a suspension of their account, and finally termination of their contract. According to reports, ISPs that fail to enforce the rules could be prosecuted and details of suspected customers passed onto the courts.

"The ISPs are finding themselves between a rock and a hard place - they are being leaned on by the movie and music industry to block pirate downloads, but at the same time they don't want to alienate their customers by accusing them of something they didn't do," explained Cluley. "There is no 100% solution for blocking illegal downloads which doesn't also inconvenience the ."

The proposed plan, which the Government is due to unveil next week, will require ISPs to take action against the estimated six million users a year in the UK who access pirated material. But, the big question is will this mean that action is also taken against those who fail to properly secure their Wi-Fi routers? Will failure to heed warnings to "lock up" also lead to a termination of Internet services?