Slashdot
dr
So I guess I caused a bit of a stir, looking at the comments on slashdot.  To 
clarify a few things:

1.  Yeah, I know unencrypted != unprotected, but it's a good way to get a 
ballpark guess.  I also think you'll find that sure, there ARE cases where
it's left open deliberately, but theres an overwhelming majority of cases where
it ISN'T.

2.  I have nothing against voluntarily open wireless.  I think more places
SHOULD be open, but I have a real problem with people leaking data to the
world and exposing themselves when they have NO IDEA how vulnerable they are.
Free wireless is Good.  Grandma getting owned is not.  I don't know where the 
midpoint sits for this, between useability, open networks, and security.  I'd 
like to see everyone using layer3+ security (VPN, ssh, etc) so that networks 
can be free AND secure.  We all know how likely THAT is to happen.

3.  Do I think Kismet adds to the problem?  Obviously not, or I wouldn't keep
developing it.  I think that you're better off knowing about the problem than
having huge security holes known only by a malicious few, and I think having a 
free sniffer and IDS is enough benefit to outweigh the Evil Wardrivers (tm)
(tongue firmly in cheek).  Kismet is purely passive, it won't go out and destroy 
soemones network.  I'd have a harder time defending something like Void11 
(Sorry guys.  Convince me if you want to over email.) which is primarily 
geared towards active attacks and DOS tools.  Theres a reason I don't release 
a lot of my DOS test case code.

4.  Will wardriving get you arrested?  Only if you're completely blatantly 
stupid about it.  Is it illegal?  Depends what you log and what you do with the 
logs.  Will you get time added onto your sentence if you're a jackass and 
hack a network and they prove you were an Evil Wardriver (tm)?  Most likely.  
Don't be stupid.  Vandalism and stealing is not hacking.

*** End Rant