RE: Newspaper Article about Cable Modem security

[Michael Cassidy <cassidy () panix com>]

At 8:17 AM -0500 11/1/99, Keller Dennis (DDSP) wrote:
> > > Eric Toll wrote:
> > > > The sad part is that even if they have file and print
> > sharing turned
> > > off, you can still be hacked and or hijacked, cable modem
> > networks are >not
> > distributed star, but more like a bus network  ( think of it
> > like a >river )
> > and anyone can get a sniffer and "drink" packets and look for
> > > "password" or
> > capture 40bit encryped https sessions, save them and >crack
> > them later to
> > reveal credit card numbers etc.
> > >

not just anybody can play with a sniffer and "drink" packets and not just
anybody can crack a 40bit encrypted session.
i dont have a cable modem so i havent played with it yet but i dont think
its so easy to crack as everyone supposes.
in some sense that BIG river of packets gives you protection like bison
running in a herd.



regards
m