The Cell that dealt with 146 e-commerce fraud cases and deleted 346 fake profiles and objectionable postings on social media sites last year, is apprehensive that unsecured WiFi connections could be an open invitations to terrorists or criminals to use for any purpose, including posing risk to national security.
“It is not just vulnerable for creating fake profiles or posting objectionable images or comments, open WiFi network could also be open to other criminal and terrorist abuse,” SP Kartik Kashyap told Herald.
Deputy Inspector General of Police V Renganathan is on record as saying that tracking down the offenders in such cases is tedious.
A number of cafeterias, hotels, restaurants and offices across the State run completely open networks or hand out passwords. Coastal belt is a classic example where almost every alternate commercial establishment offers free WiFi.
Kashyap conceded that they have faced problems twice during their investigation. “Open WiFi should be password protected, else anyone can access internet service from these zones, send threat mails or post something obnoxious and get away with it…” he commented. “If there is alternate or coinciding evidence the culprit could be caught, but this is rare,” he said.
The officer disclosed they are now contemplating to move the District Collectors requesting them to issue a notification asking all commercial establishments, office premises and other venues to have password protected wireless hotspots.
