[PLUG] ATTBI to Comcast switch

[Russ Johnson]

* Ken Barber <pundit at teleport.com> [2003-06-09 20:10]:
> The security problem with cable modems is the same problem with 
> any shared-media network:  all traffic on the network can be seen 
> by all nodes on the network, making it trivial to sniff traffic 
> and capture everyone's email, passwords to Web sites, chat and 
> any/all other activity.

Everything I'm writing here is second hand. I have never had a cable
modem, and I don't plan on getting one.

>From what I have been told, what you say above used to be true. You
could sniff the traffic hitting your cable modem, and get all sorts of
interesting information about everyone in your neighborhood. 

Supposedly, that changed sometime in the last couple of years. Traffic
between the cable modem and the head end (equivalent to a DSLAM, only on
cable) is supposedly encrypted. Another cable modem isn't supposed to be
able to unencrypt traffic not bound for itself. 

I have no idea if this is true, or if it is, what level of encryption is
used, or what type. 

-- 
Russ Johnson
Dimension 7/Stargate Online
http://www.dimstar.net

Top post? http://www.caliburn.nl/topposting.html

Random thought #1 (Collect all 19)
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke