[www.wired.com]

Security-Free Wireless Networks 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — With a laptop perched in the passenger seat of his Toyota 4Runner and a special antenna on the roof, Mike Outmesguine ventured off to sniff out wireless networks between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He got a big whiff of insecurity.

While his 800-mile drive confirmed that the number of wireless networks is growing explosively, he also found that only a third used basic encryption — a key security measure. In fact, in nearly 40 percent of the networks not a single change had been made to the gear’s wide-open default settings.

…which resonates with what I found on a recent train journey.