War Driving

War driving has become the common term given for people who drive around with wireless equipment looking for other wireless networks. Another term used synonymously is “Access Point Discovery.” But no matter what name the practice goes by, it is commonplace to hear stories of people who drive around their city looking to see if they can find others who have installed a wireless network.

A number of recent demonstrations have highlighted the simplicity and effectiveness of war driving in locating wireless networks. If the Access Points of the discovered networks are located behind the firewall, war driving can be the vital first step in identifying a target that thinks it’s secure.

Part of the novelty of war driving is how easy it is to discover wireless networks. All you have to do is toss your laptop in the car and do a little driving. You could be going to get groceries, taking your pet to the vet, or just driving to the mall, and all the while your laptop is discovering and recording wireless networks along the way.