Public terminals

TheNiceGuy

Golden Member
Dec 23, 2004
1,569
3
81
I was wondering what happens with a public terminal. I undersatnd that many places (McDs, Starbucks, etc.) have WiFi internet for laptops, etc. What's to stop someone using it for illegal purposes, such as a death threat or such? Wouldn't the IP address be useless? How could you trace it?
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Most illegal activity doesn't get reported or even followed up on, no matter where it comes from.
 

GaryJohnson

Senior member
Jun 2, 2006
940
0
0
I undersatnd that many places (McDs, Starbucks, etc.) have WiFi internet for laptops
With those two particular examples, both are paid services with user registration. So they aren't exactly anonymous. There are however other unsecured, free, & anonymous hotspots around.

Wouldn't the IP address be useless? How could you trace it?
Generally you couldn't trace it. A careless intruder might still be caught though. For example, I have an unsecured honeypot set up in my apartment that I have been able to identify users connecting to it because their windows "Computer Name" is THEIR name. :)
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,176
13,576
126
www.anyf.ca
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

are you high?
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,176
13,576
126
www.anyf.ca
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:

I heard many stories of stuff like this. Apparently the RIAA has a swat team as well so perhaps they'd be more likely to raid then the FBI. I don't see what stops them from doing it to a public place. US authorities go ballistic over computer crime. Here in Canada it's not really that bad though. At most they might cut off your internet. When I was new to computers and did not really know anything about hacking ethics or firewalls I used to port scan stuff for hell of it and connect to people's machine with sub seven and stuff like that. Port 139 is an old favorite as well. You could map someone's C drive across the net lol. Good times.
 

Oakenfold

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2001
5,740
0
76
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:

I heard many stories of stuff like this. Apparently the RIAA has a swat team as well so perhaps they'd be more likely to raid then the FBI. I don't see what stops them from doing it to a public place. US authorities go ballistic over computer crime. Here in Canada it's not really that bad though. At most they might cut off your internet. When I was new to computers and did not really know anything about hacking ethics or firewalls I used to port scan stuff for hell of it and connect to people's machine with sub seven and stuff like that. Port 139 is an old favorite as well. You could map someone's C drive across the net lol. Good times.

Really?
I guess it must vary from region to region in the states, in Jax (Florida) you have to have done something pretty hardcore (white collar wise) to get the Fed seriously involved, their resources are spread fairly thin as it is. Of course that i just based on my personal observations (i.e. working for a financial insitution).
 

Crusty

Lifer
Sep 30, 2001
12,684
2
81
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:

I heard many stories of stuff like this. Apparently the RIAA has a swat team as well so perhaps they'd be more likely to raid then the FBI. I don't see what stops them from doing it to a public place. US authorities go ballistic over computer crime. Here in Canada it's not really that bad though. At most they might cut off your internet. When I was new to computers and did not really know anything about hacking ethics or firewalls I used to port scan stuff for hell of it and connect to people's machine with sub seven and stuff like that. Port 139 is an old favorite as well. You could map someone's C drive across the net lol. Good times.

Now you've got to be really kidding. An RIAA SWAT team?! :laugh: Perhaps they involved the local SWAT to help an investigation, but the RIAA surely does not operate their own SWAT.

Like Oakenfold said, you have to do some serious shit to get the feds involved in a fashion that gets you raided by the FBI in under 15 minutes. You know like... hacking the NSA or stealing funds from a govt. account, and even then they would have to already be watching you to react that fast.

The FBI does routinely raid facilities like data centers and such as part of their investigations, they'll even raid your house if you do something bad enough... but a scenario like the OP asked about(a death threat)... LOL. You'd be lucky to get the local sheriff involved!
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,176
13,576
126
www.anyf.ca
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:

I heard many stories of stuff like this. Apparently the RIAA has a swat team as well so perhaps they'd be more likely to raid then the FBI. I don't see what stops them from doing it to a public place. US authorities go ballistic over computer crime. Here in Canada it's not really that bad though. At most they might cut off your internet. When I was new to computers and did not really know anything about hacking ethics or firewalls I used to port scan stuff for hell of it and connect to people's machine with sub seven and stuff like that. Port 139 is an old favorite as well. You could map someone's C drive across the net lol. Good times.

Now you've got to be really kidding. An RIAA SWAT team?! :laugh: Perhaps they involved the local SWAT to help an investigation, but the RIAA surely does not operate their own SWAT.

Like Oakenfold said, you have to do some serious shit to get the feds involved in a fashion that gets you raided by the FBI in under 15 minutes. You know like... hacking the NSA or stealing funds from a govt. account, and even then they would have to already be watching you to react that fast.

The FBI does routinely raid facilities like data centers and such as part of their investigations, they'll even raid your house if you do something bad enough... but a scenario like the OP asked about(a death threat)... LOL. You'd be lucky to get the local sheriff involved!

Yeah deaththreat is nothing, same with a murder, but downloading MP3s, hacking, and general piracy usually get the feds involved quite fast, from what I've seen. (news articles, real life stories, etc). Recently I seen a thread on webhostingtalk and a data center was also raided over piracy, and tons of customers lost lot of productivity and data.
 

dphantom

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2005
4,763
327
126
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Originally posted by: Crusty
Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I suppose they could have the FBI lock down the building then use some kind of technology to detect the location of all devices with an ip and go one by one and either confiscate all found equipment or find a way to know which one was the source. Probably happen all in under 15 minutes within the crime was done. Especially if piracy was involved.

Unless you're committing massive amounts of wire fraud on public terminal i don't think you'll have to worry about the FBI.

Especially storming the building within 15 minutes of the crime being commited. :laugh: That's outrageous. :laugh:

I heard many stories of stuff like this. Apparently the RIAA has a swat team as well so perhaps they'd be more likely to raid then the FBI. I don't see what stops them from doing it to a public place. US authorities go ballistic over computer crime. Here in Canada it's not really that bad though. At most they might cut off your internet. When I was new to computers and did not really know anything about hacking ethics or firewalls I used to port scan stuff for hell of it and connect to people's machine with sub seven and stuff like that. Port 139 is an old favorite as well. You could map someone's C drive across the net lol. Good times.

Now you've got to be really kidding. An RIAA SWAT team?! :laugh: Perhaps they involved the local SWAT to help an investigation, but the RIAA surely does not operate their own SWAT.

Like Oakenfold said, you have to do some serious shit to get the feds involved in a fashion that gets you raided by the FBI in under 15 minutes. You know like... hacking the NSA or stealing funds from a govt. account, and even then they would have to already be watching you to react that fast.

The FBI does routinely raid facilities like data centers and such as part of their investigations, they'll even raid your house if you do something bad enough... but a scenario like the OP asked about(a death threat)... LOL. You'd be lucky to get the local sheriff involved!

Yeah deaththreat is nothing, same with a murder, but downloading MP3s, hacking, and general piracy usually get the feds involved quite fast, from what I've seen. (news articles, real life stories, etc). Recently I seen a thread on webhostingtalk and a data center was also raided over piracy, and tons of customers lost lot of productivity and data.

Child porn will get attention most asap. I used to manage a public network and got subpoened alll the time for Internet access records relating to child porn. That's taken real seriously.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Last figure I heard was that you had to have $15k USD worth of "damages" for the FBI to get involved in "hacking" incidents.