Though not directly related to Wi-Fi networks, warspying targets another common wireless technology found in homes and businesses: wireless video cameras. Like wardrivers, warspies drive (or walk) around with wireless receivers looking for signals from wireless devices. Warspies, however, are looking for video signals, not Wi- Fi networks, and they find them. 2600 Magazine coined the term warspying.
The most common wireless cameras are those sold by X10 Wireless Technology. You may be familiar with these cameras because of the Internet spam and pop-up advertising that the company used to promote the product. X10 cameras are completely insecure technology. If you use one of these cameras, you are broadcasting the image to the world, and anyone with an X10 receiver or similar gear can view the signal.
There is no gray area regarding the legality of intercepting the video signal from these cameras; it’s legal. Wiretap laws forbid the interception of audio signals, not video. Since these cameras aren’t broadcasting sound, anyone can peek. They also broadcast in the same public frequency as Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), so you can’t expect privacy there.
These cameras have no security features and no built in encryption. There isn’t any way you can prevent a warspy from viewing the signal. Except, maybe, if you stop using the camera. If you choose to use a wireless video camera, be careful where you point.