Tapping into your neighbour’s Wi-Fi is a temptation we all strive to avoid. Especially so, when it happens to be an open network! However, that doesn’t stop quirky Wi-Fi network names from popping onto your phone screen. This is precisely what happened with a 34-year-old software engineer based in Delhi.
But, they weren’t the comically mundane network names like ‘Khaleesi’, ‘Badboy’, or ‘home’. The network that popped up on his screen would have alarmed any of us. It read, ‘Join Hizbul Mujahideen’.
In a state of panic, he toggled his phone, yet the scary network and its signal strength prevailed. Confounded by his home Wi-Fi network, he chose to take the matter to the cops on the very night of February 24. The police, however, had little luck investigating the matter. They then involved the local cybercrime cell along with other security agencies.
The experts started by discerning the radius within which the network was available. They then mapped out and shortlisted possible addresses. These addresses finally led the team on a hunt to search and verify local addresses for the suspicious Wi-Fi network.
Residents at each address were verified after the internet service providers shared the list of customers using the network. Ultimately, the Wi-Fi connection was identified as one set up in a telecom shop since November 26, 2018. TOI reported that the shop owner was identified as Gulshan Tiwari.
The 60-year-old who hails from Lucknow admitted to installing the network but denied knowing anything of its name. Later, his younger son confessed to having chosen the name specifically to deter Wi-Fi freeloaders. The 25-year-old said he coined a ‘scary’ name because he was tired of random people using their internet.
DCP (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse revealed to TOI that no nefarious activities were found running on the Tiwari’s Wi-Fi network. Hence, there is no case registered against the family. However, the cops did ask them to change the username.
Ultimately, it was much ado for nothing. But, peek into your phone and tell us what’s the freakiest Wi-Fi network around you?