You know the practice of getting a free ride on other people’s open Wi-Fi access points without permission has become mainstream when it starts showing up in sitcoms. Recently I tuned into a show where characters down on their luck walked down the sidewalk holding a laptop like a divining rod. When they found an open Wi-Fi access point, they plunked down on the sidewalk and started surfing the Net to fix whatever fiasco they were in – all within the 15 minutes remaining in the episode, of course. They made it seem so light-hearted and harmless – the modern equivalent of stealing your neighbor’s newspaper.

There have been many analogies made about stealing a ride on someone’s open Wi-Fi access point. But the newspaper-theft comparison doesn’t adequately describe the risks being undertaken by the rightful owner.

Here’s my favorite analogy: You’re in your car, and someone hops into the passenger seat right before you pull away from the curb. He asks you to make an interim stop before you reach your destination (making your trip slower) and doesn’t even offer any gas money. And while in your car, the passenger can eavesdrop on your phone conversation, hearing your Social Security number and PIN. Oh, a couple of weeks later, a crime gets traced back to you. Turns out the passenger robbed a bank on that interim stop, and your license plate number is clearly shown on security cameras as the get-away car.

So why doesn’t everyone secure their Wi-Fi networks and protect themselves from unwittingly giving free rides to potential thieves?

There are various reasons. Some people ignore the risks (and their ISP user agreement) and willingly provide free Wi-Fi access to friends, neighbors and passers-by. Others bought a Wi-Fi self-installation kit and just didn’t bother enabling the security features. Either way, the industry should strive to clearly communicate this public service announcement: “Buckle up your Wi-Fi network. It will ensure a higher-quality experience and reduce your exposure to risk. Thank you.”