Open Wi-Fi May Become Illegal In India 179
chromoZ writes with word that because of the serial blasts in Indian cities (and terrorist outfits claiming responsibility via email, often sent via Cyber Cafes and open Wi-Fi spots), sharing unsecured wireless access may get much tougher in India: "The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) after studying open Wifi networks is coming up with a set of guidelines and recommendations to secure them. 'All ISPs may be instructed to ensure that their subscribers using wireless devices must use effective authentication mechanisms and permit access to internet to only authorised persons using wireless devices.' An open Wi-Fi could be as much as illegal in India after this."
Of course, this does nothing (Score:5, Informative)
to stop the attacks in the first place. Lots of other ways to claim responsibility for attacks. As usual, it just makes the common man a criminal...
Background. (Score:3, Informative)
For anyone wondering about the background to this move, you could start with the Wikipedia article" [wikipedia.org]
Re:guidelines == law?? (Score:3, Informative)
Since when does disobeying "guidelines and recommendations" mean you are breaking the law?
The law in a given jurisdiction may condition safe-harbor provisions on compliance with "guidelines and recommendations". For example, the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act, which has been law in the United States (home of Slashdot) for just shy of a decade, conditions a safe harbor for copyright infringement on a notice and takedown procedure.
Just set the ESSID to "You are authorized," then everyone using it is authorized.
But nobody is authenticated. The guideline appears to require both authentication and authorization.
Re:What a pity (Score:3, Informative)
What I am saying is, seven years in to the stark reality posed by the threat of Islamic terrorism, I am surprised that India hasnt opted to carpet bomb Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
A correction, its not 7 years, its almost 20 years since islamic terrorism started in India.
This [wikipedia.org] is the beginning I think, and the terrorists have never looked back.