Singapore teen charged with stealing wireless internet access

A teenager in Singapore has been charged with the rare crime of accessing the web via someone else's wireless connection.

Garyl Tan Jia Luo, 17, is the first person to be charged with this crime under his country's Computer Misuse Act, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Tan may face up to three years in jail, according to the report, as well as a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars.

Tan is accused of using his laptop to steal internet access from a neighboring wireless network this May. The neighbor had filed a complaint against him with local authorities, according to the AP report.

Tan was released on bail of 6,000 Singapore dollars; he has another court appearance scheduled for this week.

Security experts have often warned that unauthorized wireless access would become a more widespread problem for enterprises and the home user as wireless networks become more prevalent.

In August, researchers warned that wireless worms could theoretically allow hackers to spread malicious code, including worms, Wirelessly through laptops.

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