It’s something that no self-respecting person would ever think of as being an issue, yet as it turns out more people than I had expected likely fall into some of the categories listed in this article. Some of the stickier issues, and often easy to overlook, are laws surrounding the access to wireless networks (among a few others). Anyone thinking they are okay might want to ask themselves this question: Did you back up that DVD you own? You might be violating one of these legal issues. Perhaps you checked your email really quick on the nearest open Wi-Fi access point? Again, it’s easy to overlook, but there is a good chance that you are breaking some local statute or worse.

Other legal factors featured in the above linked article are pretty obvious. Don’t do anything sleazy, don’t steal, and don’t profit off of other people’s protected work. Seems fairly simple to me. But because illegal acts can also take place due to malware being used to exploit the PCs of others, etc., clearly it is a good idea to be darn sure you are using both an up to date anti-virus and a good firewall… just to be sure.

Here’s the lesson to take away. When in doubt about something, check. If your friend offers to install software you did not pay for, be wary if it’s proprietary and the license is unknown. Stay away from P2P networks and most of all… be careful when mooching Wi-Fi. This alone is still a dangerous gray area that can lead to criminal wiretap law issues if you are not careful. Use your heads out there; let common sense be your guide.

[awsbullet:Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies]