Is it illegal to change a neighbors password to their internet router if it was left unsecured?
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Is it illegal to change a neighbors password to their internet router if it was left unsecured?
Asked on November 14, 2011 under Criminal Law, Illinois
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
From a criminal perspective, it was probably not illegal for one to change a neighbor's password to their internet router if the neighbor left it unsecured and your access to the system was authorized by the neighbor. However if the access was not authorized and the password was changed by you, a potential criminal trespass action could be filed against you depending upon what the neighbor wants to do.
However, from a civil perspective, what was done could very well result in an action for trespass to property by the owner of the internet router.
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