INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The seizure of computers at an Independence Catholic church may have you wondering about the security of your own home network.
The diocese says it’s possible someone outside downloaded the child porn through an unsecure WiFi connection. The Kansas City Cyber Crimes Task Force continue to examine the computers taken from the church rectory as part of the investigation.
Experts warn the unsecured WiFi connection is dangerous since it can provide criminals anonymous access to the internet.
“Anyone can use your internet protocol address. Your IP address can be used for illegal things,” said Jeff Lanza, a cyber security expert. “If that happens it looks like it’s coming from your house. The police and the fbi may show up at your doorstep and say this thing was done illegally at your house. You have to explain no it wasn’t, who did it?”
The typical range of a home wireless router is about 120 feet — far enough to reach out to the street in urban areas and into neighboring homes. Experts suggest you protect your network with encryption and a password that controls who gets access.
“In the case we’re talking about here, that doesn’t appear to have been done. That doesn’t mean your signal is contained.The signal still propagates But it is more difficult for, not impossible, but more difficult for someone to drive by and attach to your signal,” said Jerry Place, Assistant Dean at the UMKC School of Computing.
If you’re worried about restaurants or other public areas that offer free WiFi, they typically include strong security filters that prevent users from getting to websites that may offer objectionable material, like pornography.
