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So things are going okay for me and I’m enjoying the Spring break I’m on. Got lots done and am ahead in work for my classes. Things are even and the weather is nice–but someting has to happen. Well–I check on the main email on my internet account and see there is an email from my provider’s security. It tells me that a notice of claim of copyright infringement have been filed. I’ve never received anything like this. It was for a DVD rip on a movie. I don’t rip movies off the internet.
So I call my provider and tell them what the story is. They connect me to the security and all I get is a message. They talked about the copyright infringement claims that were sent out and pretty much they want you to delete whatever it is you downloaded. Well, I can’t delete anything because I didn’t download any movies! I did leave them a message to call me and have also written a letter to them. If I didn’t download anything, I don’t want them to think that I did. Another concern–could someone have gotten into my network? I do have a router and it does have a password so not just anyone could get in.
I’m looking at the date and time this was done and it was close to midnight on a Tuesday. I’m not on my computer that late on a weekday. I’ve never received a notice like this and right now my biggest concern is a hacker.
Has this ever happened to anyone here? If so, what did you do–any suggestions?
I’m curious to hear what comes of this as well. We have no password on our wireless either…the signal isn’t exactly strong (it’s down to one bar on the second floor of our house), but I guess if you got close enough to the house you could pick it up? Maybe someone drove around with their laptop one night waiting until they got a signal, and just sat outside your house DLing crap they ought not. o_o; Creepy.
Well I did get a call from my internet provider’s security and they tell me that no one is going to press charges and that it was a warning. Okay–a warning for something I didn’t do??? I could barely understand this guy–but what I got is I needed not worry. I impressed upon him that I do not download videos from the internet and wanted to get that straight right away. What if I didn’t respond and got another notice?
He asked me about my router and I told him that it is encrypted. The only suggestion he could give me is to change the password.
It is weird because nobody has this password except when I got a new TV and DVD earlier this year and the installers needed to network my system. You would have to be literally outside my house to catch my signal and then know the password. I am baffled by this as well. It’s creepy to think that someone was driving around or outside my place and caught a signal and figured out my password!!! :O
It could be some freak thing but this happened around midnight! This is the first time I ever received anything like this. It’s just a pain when you didn’t do anything and have to spend time getting things straightened out. I take it that a lot of these emails went out because the security had a recorded message about them when I first called.
Weird, just plain weird. I’ll really worry if I get another one!
General PSA! Not aimed at you, LadyFirebird. 🙂
Unfortunately, there ARE folks that will cruise neighborhoods with their laptops, hunting for an easy in. They then use the free internet (which is connected to someone else’s name of course) do do stuff online that they wouldn’t want tracked to themselves. Torrent illegal movies, browse dirty websites, do blackhat stuff. People that drive around doing this are often (not always but often) people you really, really don’t want on your network. However, this is less likely the case than having neighbors using it. People around you are more likely to be piggbacking than a random net stumbler.
Usually the folks that drive around don’t mess with wireless connections that have encryption, since so many people have unsecured networks and are easy access. Why dig for gold when people leave it laying around in the street?
Which is why you should always make sure your wireless is secured.
Note: Leaving the default username and password is not secure. Anyone that knows anything about routers will know the default username and address that comes standard on these routers!Those people that have problems with other people hopping on their secure networks are sadly usually dealing with neighbors that have good reason to try and bum their way into your network; it’s free home internet access for them! I think a lot of people greatly underestimate how far those invisible wavelengths can travel. Depending on the make of your router, where it is in your home, what your home is made out of, and the abilities of the antenna that is picking it up… it can go much further than just right outside your home! Common wireless routers can have a range (for someone with a decent antenna to pick it up) of far more than your home or yard. I could pick my parent’s wireless up from nearly 1/4th of a mile away until we went in and turned it down. From my home I can ‘see’ no less than 4 other networks… and my closest neighbor is over an acre away.
Very unfortunately (and sometimes for good reason, though it hurts those of us that are honest), Internet Service Providers… especially big ones… tend to treat customers as ‘guilty until proven innocent’ and the security of your home network is in your hands, not theirs, so if you use wireless I always advise folks to either have a tech-savvy friend that can check on it once in a while and make sure others aren’t using it, or if possible learn how to check it yourselves.
Here’s an article written 5 years ago! Imagine how many people have wireless today compared to then. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/technology/05wireless.html
More and more people, like my aunt who swore to never have the internet, now have wireless and are clueless that other people could get on (we fixed it for her).Here’s a very basic article about how to check:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/how-to-tech/how-to-detect-stealing-wifi.htmIt’s a few years old so those with newer computers may have different options. The next best thing you can do is bust out the manual for your router (if you don’t have it anymore, you can usually look up PDF versions of these online) and read about how to secure.
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My art: featherdust.comActually, this DOES sound like it was aimed at Lady since there is an actual time and day. If it wasn’t that specific, I’d have to agree with Jen–that this is just a general notice.
However, since it’s so specific, frankly, there’s something fishy about this. Internet providers don’t generally police your internet activity other than SOMETIMES checking to make sure you’re not using too much bandwidth. I think it’s actually quite difficult to catch someone actually downloading AND ripping a video. This is a false accusation and you need to make it clear that you realize that something is not quite right here. I would even wonder if you shouldn’t contact the authorities. I hope I’m not being too paranoid here, but it sounds like a scam.
Peh, now I’m worried about my own wireless connection. D: Our router is so old, I have no idea where the manual is. Maybe I should buy a new one. >.>;….
My awesome boyfriend (his words 😉 ) said I should post this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2253625_secure-wireless-router.htmlPeh, now I’m worried about my own wireless connection. D: Our router is so old, I have no idea where the manual is. Maybe I should buy a new one. >.>;….
If you search for the make and model + “manual” you can usually find them online. Or, go to the manufacturer’s website and go to ‘support’ and look for a download-able manual. They often exist.
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My art: featherdust.comAInternet providers don’t generally police your internet activity other than SOMETIMES checking to make sure you’re not using too much bandwidth. I think it’s actually quite difficult to catch someone actually downloading AND ripping a video.
Actually, big movie* and music companies are getting more smart about this and have started inserting traceable ‘tags’ if you will into movie and music files, and these can alert them when someone illegally downloads a copy. It’s an automated process that sends a letter to the ISP and then the ISP is legally obligated to send you a warning (it’s like a cease and desist).
And sadly like I said, it’s very hard to prove that you didn’t actually do it if someone else is using your connection.
*This is typically reserved for movies that are still in theaters (and thus the downloads are causing significant financial loss in the movie company’s eyes) and some of the more popular, recent movies. When Avatar first came out a lot of people were getting nailed for downloading it.
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My art: featherdust.comWhen Avatar first came out a lot of people were getting nailed for downloading it.
As well they should! IP theft is stealing as much as anything else. And I can see that scenario (tracer tag) being at work, but it also wouldn’t be that hard to link it to a specific computer, so it seems outrageous to get accused of something like this if you didn’t do it. That being said, if you let someone else (kids, grandkids, friends, etc.) use your computer, you can get nailed for it, too. I guess the best thing you can do is lock down your router from outside access, lock down your computer (or turn it off) when not in use, and keep an eye on your computer if anyone else ever uses it.
And I can see that scenario (tracer tag) being at work, but it also wouldn’t be that hard to link it to a specific computer, so it seems outrageous to get accused of something like this if you didn’t do it.
Problem being is that if they link it to a given computer, where is that computer getting online from? And that is how they have to address it. The way they find out where where a computer ‘lives’ is to trace it down to where they are getting online at. So while one could probably prove that they didn’t download it to their personal computer, the traffic still came from their internet line, and as much as it stinks you are responsible for anything done with your internet connection in the eyes of your ISP.
It stinks, but it’s sort of like the cameras that give out traffic violations (speeding tickets and red light cameras). They take a photo of the license plate, and the car owner gets the ticket… no matter WHO was driving and responsible for running the light or speeding…
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My art: featherdust.comI know someone that downloads movies and music and what have you, literally, 24/7. When I did some work for him, if I was in his house, his computer would beep about once per five to ten minutes. He told me that it meant something he was downloading had finished. He even asked if I wanted him to download something for me. Seeing as I use the library, I have access to most movies I want to watch, and music I want to listen to, and didn’t “need” anything.
If he can download like this, for years and never get caught, I wonder how a single download on your network would get caught.
If he can download like this, for years and never get caught, I wonder how a single download on your network would get caught.
Maybe he’s being smart about it; there are ways around copyright protections if you are clever (it’s always been a race: big companies putting different protections out, and pirates finding ways around it).
Or, he is just careful (or lucky) enough to download items that aren’t getting him caught (tagging is fairly recent thing to do). It’s hard to say.Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.com
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