Is cryptography where security took the wrong branch?

[David Honig]

At 10:18 AM 9/3/03 PDT, D. K. Smetters wrote:
>
>I find WEP very useful for one thing -- given the habit of
>many wireless clients to opportunistically jump onto any
>network they happen to find, turning on WEP keeps users
>from accidentally "falling" onto networks by mistake. 

This is much like the locks on cars.  They are basically
weak, but they prevent you from accidentally opening
the wrong car, should an identical one be parked near
yours.  Sort of like the locks on residential bathrooms
that can be opened with a paper clip.  Trivially brute
forced but useful nonetheless.

Or the no-tresspassing signs on barbed wire fences,
which are required by law, else the property is crossable.
(This is, in my mind, the common-law basis for
New Hampshire's "no password = freely usable" law
legalizing wardriving.)



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