Why-Fi?

After the unfortunate series of blasts in Delhi, Bangalore and a few other cities, a lot was made out of the terror mails that followed. On two occasions, the mail was sent using unsecured WiFi networks. Following these incidents, unsecured WiFi networks were made to look like a bundle of highly hazardous material left carelessly in the open, causing a potential threat to human lives and national security. My question is pretty simple - would it have changed anything for the better (with respect to the incidents) had all the networks been secured, and in wake of the gazillion IP masking techniques that prevail?

While I completely endorse the idea of securing home and private networks, I am totally against the suggestions of abolishing all internet hotspots or bringing a stay on "WiMAX"ing cities.

Yes, home users should ideally secure their wireless networks for reasons beyond terrorism. People give all kinds of excuses ranging from "I don't know how" to "I got nothing important on my PC" for not doing the same. But consider this scenario where you have subscribed to a "pay per MB" package and you haven't bothered securing your network. If you have smart neighbors, then this unintended social service may cost you dear. So five minutes worth of efforts may save you a lot of cost, and of course, headache.

This is one part of the story. On the other front, the thought of shutting down WiFi hotspots is quite frivolous. More than a solution, it would be more like adding to the problem. Yes, they can be misused but the same goes for public telephones, mobile phones and all other modes of communication and other technology products. Banning them all is not the solution. There is a need for better monitoring though.

Quite a few cities are on the verge of being "WiMAX"ed thus facilitating easy internet access to many homes and workplaces without the clutter of wires and middle men. Suddenly a big question mark seems to be looming over it. Internet is fast becoming the backbone of every single industry in our country. The future of education, economy and progress lies in easy access to internet in every corner of the nation. We shouldn't even be thinking of slowing down or pulling the plug on something as important as this for the fear of some antisocial elements occasionally misusing it.

What happened was unfortunate and regretful but any decision that is resultant of panic and void of proper vision can prove more disastrous in the long run. It would very much be like playing into the hands of the bad guys. After all, panic is what they want to spread.