Connecticut AG Opts For Street View Settlement, Without Seeing the Data 93
theodp writes "Verifying Google's data snare is crucial to assessing a penalty and assuring no repeat,' said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal last December in response to Google's 'accidental' collection of payload data from WiFi networks. 'We will fight to compel Google to come clean-granting my office access to improperly collected materials and protecting confidentiality, as the company has done in Canada and elsewhere.' That was then. Luckily for Google, there's a new AG in town, and Blumenthal successor George Jepsen said Friday that his office will enter into settlement negotiations with the company without reviewing the pilfered data, which Google has steadfastly refused to share with it. 'This is a good result for the people of Connecticut,' Jepsen said in a statement. A separate Jepsen press release suggested some of the blame for the privacy offenses laid with Google's victims, who were advised to 'turn off your wireless network when you know you won't use it' to thwart those who 'may be watching your Internet activity without your knowledge."
Re:Really ... the didn't recommend encryption? (Score:5, Informative)
Actually that is the summary the Jepsen press release contained rather than the actual guidelines. Regardless, it is pretty appalling since it is likely most people will not bother to follow the link to the real guidelines.
The actual consortium guidelines (http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/wireless-security.aspx, linked from the PDF in the article) has the following list:
Use encryption to scramble communications over the network. If you have a choice, WiFi Protected Access (especially WPA2) is stronger than Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).
Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall.
Most wireless routers have a mechanism called identifier broadcasting. Turn it off so your computer won't send a signal to any device in the vicinity announcing its presence.
Change the identifier on your router from the default so a hacker can't use the manufacturer's default identifier to try to access your network.
Change your router's pre-set password for administration to something only you know. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack.
Allow only specific computers to access your wireless network.
Turn off your wireless network when you know you won't use it.
Don't assume that public "hot spots" are secure. You may want to assume that other people can access any information you see or send over a public wireless network.