Security is serious business. Companies and contractors are always trying to figure out the best way to protect one's computers, as well as how to break into them. However, this has come at the cost of constant surveillance. Many people feel as though they're always being watched, and security teams aren't doing anything to counter it. This conflict has led some people to use some "interesting" tactics for protesting the rising presence of Big Brother.
The most recent example was how one man used an unsecured WiFi network to attract the attention of members of a cybersecurity conference. Gustav Nipe, chairman of the youth wing of the Swedish Pirate Party, visited a local defense security conference. There, he installed an unsecured WiFi Network called "Open Guest." According to the local English paper The Local, more than 100 representatives logged onto the network. Nipe was then able to track what websites the representatives visited. While some searched for work-related data, many others looked at things like Skype, Ebay and vacation sites.
While this information may not sound scandalous or revelatory, Nipe says he did it to attract attention to the issue of network monitoring in Sweden (which is a common practice from the government). Nipe, however, will not reveal details about which particular security experts visited which site.
The protest is historically notable when you consider how prevalent information tracking and internet surveillance in the EU. Edward Snowden testified to the European Parliament about how the NSA had multiple contracts with European countries that allows American agents to wiretap without a need for any further deals.
Nipe's act has come under criticism from newspapers and lawyers alike. Many critics are saying that the "protest" breached Sweden's Personal Data Act. However, some supporters, including the local newspaper Dagens Nyheter, noted that recordings like Nipe's would most likely fit the category of "recording for journalistic purposes."
