2 more notable articles to end it.
Wi-fi access for 'Free'Beware, neighbours can access your broadband service if you do not have a password to protect your wireless network.
By Loh Wei Loong
WHEN stock market trader M.C. Loo moved house last October, he did not count on a week-long delay in getting his broadband Internet access.
So he tried accessing his neighbour's network to gain entry to the Internet.
Using a laptop and a wireless network card, he did a simple search of the vicinity.
'To my surprise, a few connections were unsecured.
'I just logged in, checked my e-mail and left. There was no harm done,' said Mr Loo, 30, who lives in Ang Mo Kio.
This method of borrowing - or 'stealing' - Internet access is growing, given the availability of cheap wireless equipment from hardware vendors.
Many consumers who set up a wireless network within their home do not take precautions to secure it.
A wireless or Wi-Fi network usually enables one broadband connection to be shared among several computers and printers at home, via a wireless router, removing the hassle of having cables cutting across rooms.
But since a Wi-Fi signal can go through walls, neighbours upstairs, downstairs or next door can also get the signal.
All it takes for someone to piggyback the signal is another wireless card.
And unless the person starts downloading large music or movie files, which can cause a noticeable slowdown in Internet speed, it is not easy to detect the intrusion.
Such vulnerability cuts across all broadband providers as security is usually dependent upon third-party wireless equipment used.
Mr Thomas Ee, senior vice-president of IP services at StarHub, says: 'When a user does not apply any security features to protect his wireless home network, it is like leaving the door of his house open.'
But while this makes the user vulnerable, it does not give neighbours the access right to the network, he adds.
'We believe that using someone else's broadband connection belongs in the general category of theft. Further, we also believe this is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.'
A way to deter intruders is to enable security settings in the wireless equipment. Common brands like Netgear and Linksys provide easy-to-use password and security options.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as changing the password from the default settings such as 'admin' or 'passwords'.
'Hackers know these defaults and will try them to access your wireless device and change your network settings,' says a spokesman for Linksys.
'To thwart any unauthorised changes, customise the device's password so it will be hard to guess.'
Some Internet users do not see piggybacking as a theft and say Wi-Fi signals, like radio and television signals, are being beamed into their homes.
'If someone doesn't want to share his wireless access, he should take steps in securing it,' says Mr Loo.
But those who intentionally let neighbours access their network and get them to chip in to pay for broadband service costs should also be aware of the risks involved.
In the case of StarHub, its terms and conditions state that a subscriber's connection is for a specific residential unit only.
And subscribers should be aware that they are responsible for whatever the connection is used for, says Mr Ee.
'They should be very mindful that anyone using their wireless network may engage in some form of cyber crimes such as illegal uploading or downloading of materials, and hence, breach intellectual property rights,' he says.
'This may subject the subscriber to any subsequent investigation by the relevant authorities.'
Meanwhile, Internet users may get to surf for free for a year on an islandwide network.
The network, which is partly government funded, will start in some areas by August and is expected to be available islandwide by June next year.
[email protected]All wired but unsecuredTO FIND out how conscious Singaporeans are of wireless security, The Sunday Times tried to tap into Wi-Fi networks at an HDB block in the north and a condominium in the east.
Both experiments were carried out in the evenings, when the majority of residents would be home. In both cases, it took less than 10 minutes to piggyback a Wi-Fi signal.
All that was used was a laptop and a wireless card set to connect automatically to unsecured broadband connections.
Of the 15 connections found within the span of an hour in the east, six were unsecured.
However, maintaining the connection was dependent on the network owner remaining online. Once the person had logged off, this reporter had to spend time searching for a new source.
So, unless you live in an area where someone leaves his connection on 24/7, borrowing access in the afternoon or late at night, when most users would not be online, may not be as easy.
Loh Wei Loong
The price of fameTV talent contestants have to deal with rude postings, online threats and... stalkers
By Lee Sze Yong
LIKE any other school day, Teresa Tseng, a Secondary 3 student at CHIJ Katong, was sitting attentively in class two Fridays ago.
Little did the 15-year-old Campus SuperStar contestant know that drama concerning her was unfolding in the staff room.
A fair, big-boned teenage girl, dressed in black, had barged into her school that morning, demanding to see her idol. A teacher asked her to leave and told Teresa about it, advising her to avoid the over-zealous fan.
Teresa recalled, still sounding nervous: 'When I left school in the car that afternoon, I could see the girl waiting at the gate. I never expected fans would turn up at my school.'
Although the fan did not show up again, her teachers are still worried about her safety. If her businesswoman mother is unable to fetch her from school, a teacher will take her home.
As Teresa told LifeStyle: 'Now, I have less freedom to go wherever I want.'
Such is the price of fame, as some young contestants of Campus SuperStar are beginning to discover.
The Channel U talent show, which began in January, pits the singing prowess of 20 students from secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education. TV viewers call in to vote for their favourite contestant.
However, those who dislike certain contestants make their voices heard, too. On the show's website (campussuperstar.com.sg), disgruntled viewers leave insults and profanities - some are too foul to reprint here - on the contestants' webpages.
One netizen, who claimed to have secret society connections, threatened to beat up Pei Cai Secondary's Renfred Ng, 16.
The youngest contestant, East Spring Secondary's Ng Imm Khim, 13, was not spared, too. An anonymous viewer posted a sexually threatening message on her webpage.
Some of the postings were so rude, they prompted freelance video producer Melvyn Tan, 29, to alert Channel U and the press via e-mail to look into the matter.
He told LifeStyle: 'I was very disturbed. These people could just be jealous of the contestants' success. But they shouldn't get upset this way.'
The objectionable comments have since been taken off the website.
Mr Paul Chan, channel vice-president of branding and promotions at MediaCorp, said the website is monitored and screened by moderators.
'We will not allow any irresponsible acts. Such messages will be deleted and filed for further action when necessary,' he said.
Criminal lawyer Gary Low from Drew & Napier LLC said that if contestants felt the threats were real and caused them to become apprehensive of their own safety or that of their property or reputation, they could report the matter to the police.
The latter may charge the person posting the message with criminal intimidation if investigations reveal that there was an offence.
However, some contestants like Renfred and Imm Khim shrug off the posts as viewers' callous remarks and do not intend to alert the police.
Renfred said: 'There will always be people who like you and people who don't. You cannot please everyone.'
Imm Khim agreed: 'I just treat them as senseless words written by senseless people.'
In any case, these contestants have other things to worry about.
As they are still studying, they have to juggle their school work with a punishing recording schedule. Often, after a live recording or a photo shoot, they return home only past midnight and wake up at 6am the next day to go to school.
ITE West (Clementi) Business Administration student Geraldine See, 17, was so burnt out, she cried when she was interviewed by the press recently.
'I feel like I am on the verge of a mental breakdown,' she said. 'I'm like a rubber band. If I am over-stretched, I will break.
'I once harboured dreams of becoming a full-time singer. Now that I've seen how tiring and difficult it is, I am thinking twice.'
Luckily the girl, who used to play basketball regularly before, has strong support from her family and friends, although that makes her feel guilty.
'I cannot spend more time with them. I feel that I have let them down in a way,' she said resignedly.
Still, four contestants LifeStyle interviewed said they do not regret taking part in the competition. Although none would give up their studies to pursue a singing career full-time, the chance to perform to a national audience is something they enjoy.
There are other fringe benefits, too.
Teresa said with a laugh: 'Teachers are more forgiving. Once I dozed off in class and the teacher actually allowed me to take a short nap at my desk.'
Campus SuperStar airs every Monday on Channel U at 8pm. The result show airs at 11.30pm on the same day.
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