Strange neighborhood occurrence

So as my dad and I were getting home from Wal-mart and Sears this evening around 8:30, we saw a boy (age 15-17) and a girl (age 16~) sitting on the street facing the curb with an open laptop and what appeared to be an internet connection (the screen was glowing). I have never seen them before. So my brother and I decided to have a look - we stood in the driveway and watched them for a few minutes, and as soon as they noticed we were watching they left in a vehicle parked on the other side of the road a few houses up. I believe the girl drove. We wrote down their plates. A few minutes later, the neighbors came home to the house that the kids had been at. We might tell the neighbors tomorrow - it was too late tonight.

Anyways, it seems to my brother and I that they were doing one of two things:

1) Innocently searching for an internet connection
2) Not so innocently attempting to hack (or something of that sort)

However, the strange things are that they were just out in the open, not trying to hide or anything.

What are your thoughts?

Edit - the neighbors are 'new' - I have yet to meet them.

 

Prob just gettin some free wi-fi. Can you pull a signal from there house? Is it Secure?

 

probably trying to connect to somebodys wireless

 

No signal from my house. I'll check tomorrow or later tonight from a little closer. Is it legal to 'borrow' unsecured wifi?

 

I know here in colorado a thing with hackers is called war driving. I know someone who use to do it but then got caught and now works for the government. As you described kids I would say that its prolly no biggie.

 

No where does it say in the law that it is illegal it is just frowned upon in the computer world! But if that is the case then shame on your neighbors for not securing it! Now a days it is best to secure it so you do not have hackers get into your network!

 

Do not underestimate kids these days!! They can hack just as easy as I can(A computer programmer)

 

Ya chances are it's nothing. But it still bothers me. They had a vehicle. They could have easily gone to the library. If they were doing it at my house I would have given them something to chew on. Something about it just isn't right.

 

That's the thing. Seriously. You never know who you can trust these days.

 

Its to my understanding that even tough its unsecured its illegal to "borrow" it. For most secured wifis you don't even have to know how to hack it. Most people with little knowledge of computers usually install or have a router installed and never even bother to change default password.

 

Good point. If anything there's just something morally wrong about it. It's like taking water from your neighbors' water well (I'm going back in time here). They won't ever notice, but nonetheless they are being taken advantage of.

 

It's not illegal, but probably not ethical. You are taking advantage of your neighbor's lack of knowledge about wireless network security to piggyback on his signal. That increases traffic on his network, which can slow down the service he is paying for while you are leeching bandwidth.

It becomes illegal if you crack passwords or use the connection to hack into his computer network. Technically, this is how free wireless internet works at your neighborhood coffee shop or elsewhere. The difference in those cases is that you are doing it with the full knowledge and consent of the network's owner.
If it is on public ground it is free game. so secure your networks people.
also if your signal leaches on to your neghbors land he can sue you.
read this: http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Santa-Fe-WiFi-Fears-Keep-Getting-Weirder-106308

 

Yeah i agree, funny video btw related to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0zt4opqL18

 

They couldve been trying to hack into someones wi-fi in order to steal info. Happens all the time. In some larger areas, the dirt bags drive around, there is a computer program that will grab info off the signals.

 

Few people I've talked with, have all told me its illegal if accessed out of the establishment (store, house, restaurant) perimeters, even if its unsecured. Routers logs save your mac address, ip lease between other info that could be used for legal action. There is also equipment that can be used to triangulate from where you accessing it.

 

Good finds guys. Ultimately what it comes down to is 'Is is morally right or wrong?' There's no way for me to tell if what they were doing is hacking or just 'borrowing' wifi.

 

I've been watching wat to much TV. I saw an episode of cops where someone had called on a suspicious vehicle in a neighberhood. The cops pulled behing the guy and then search his car, he was on a laptop and had some sort of folder with names and SS#'s. I remember they called one of the people thats name was in the folder and that person they called had no idea why that guy would have his personal info. We live in kind of a weird time, there is probably more money in identity theft the armed robberies.

 

Agree, also anyone doing this or considering doing this should be aware that you will not be doing it anonymously, you WILL be leaving a trail.

 

I did this once when on a road trip but i stayed in my car and used a high priced hotel parking lot

 

My neighbor is pretty close to my house and I told her when we moved here that she should secure her network. She never has. I wish I hadn't contacted our ISP. Could be saving $60 a month LOL. I get 5 bars...!!!