A rchive Date
[ 12-06-2000 ]
Category
[ Information Technologies ]
sub-Categoy
[ Computers ]
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[Security Risks Of Cable Modems
Several issues have arisen regarding security risks of cable modems.
The main fallacies regarding the security risks of cable modems are that the cable modems are less secure than dial-up connections and that other cable modem users can see the personal documents on your computer. With the first of these, the actual facts are the opposite.
The modem technology selected inherently more secure than a standard dial-up modem. In the case of the Motorola cable modem, an encrypted connection is created between the modem and the Internet. Each cable modem has its own unique key for encrypting data and these keys are changed regularly. Encrypted data has consistently been shown as a very secure method of transferring information on the internet.
With Terayon modems, the security barrier is set-up with its complex modulation scheme and advanced access control system. The CDMA technology used in the modem was originally developed by the U.S. Military for security against pirating and malicious jamming effects. To effectively demodulate transmissions on the proprietary Terayon version, the development of a "pirate" modem is required (a $10 million cost barrier). Even with a pirate modem demodulating the signal, the access scheme must then be decoded. As this scheme is unpredictable and always changing, obtaining meaningful data from the signal is next to impossible.
On the other hand, the phone line used for a standard dial-up connection can be tapped and data can be read directly since no encryption or access scheme is used on the link. Compared to telephone system modems, the Shaw cable modem system is significantly safer for the user.
A second myth regarding cable modem security is that if file-sharing services are activated on your PC, others will be able to see your files by looking in their "network neighborhood". This is true of older LAN based cable modem systems. Some cable-based modem access to the internet is entirely Internet router based. The key features of current cable modem systems have is that IP level broadcasts are not forwarded through the network. Without this type of broadcast, no one can "see" your computer in the way described above. In this respect, cable modem services are as secure, if not, more secure than dial-up systems.
The ADSL technology used by some Internet access providers is often "bridged" at the central office. Bridging means that others can see your broadcast packets and you may appear in their "network neighborhood" -- definitely a security issue. ]
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