What is Internet time/Bandwidth theft?
Internet time/ bandwidth theft is a crime where the internet connection of one person (the victim) is used by an unauthorised person (the criminal).
This is usually done by getting access to the user’s internet account details, such as user name and password, provided by the service provider. This access can be given voluntarily by the user for a stipulated time period, or it can be gained fraudulently.
Wireless internet has made this theft more prevalent. It is easy to commit this crime if the victim uses an open wi-fi connection (one without a password) for internet access.
What are the threats?
A subscriber is generally billed based on the amount of bandwidth consumed.
A criminal may be using the victims’ internet account for free internet access, which unknowingly is paid for by the victim. An illegal or distasteful activities conducted by this freeloader will now be traced back to the victim, since his account or IP address will be found in the activity logs.
What are the risks?
The major problem encountered when one becomes a victim of bandwidth theft is financial loss. It is also difficult for the victim to prove his innocence in case any illegal activities are conducted by a malicious user of the victim’s internet.
