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If you received this newsletter,
then chances are pretty good that you are connected to the
internet in some fashion. Do you know what type of internet
connection you have? How safe is your connection? The
paragraphs below provide a basic introduction to the
technologies that underlie the Internet.
What does
broadband mean?
"Broadband" is the
general term used to refer to high-speed network connections.
In this context, Internet connections via cable modem and
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) are frequently referred to as
broadband Internet connections. "Bandwidth" is the term used
to describe the relative speed of a network connection -- for
example, most current dial-up modems can support a bandwidth
of 56 kbps (thousand bits per second). There is no set
bandwidth threshold required for a connection to be referred
to as "broadband", but it is typical for connections in excess
of 1 Megabit per second (Mbps) to be so named.
What is cable modem
access?
A cable modem allows a single computer
(or network of computers) to connect to the Internet via the
cable TV network. The cable modem usually has an Ethernet LAN
(Local Area Network) connection to the computer, and is
capable of speeds in excess of 5 Mbps.
Typical speeds tend to be lower than the maximum,
however, since cable providers turn entire neighborhoods into
LANs which share the same bandwidth. Because of this
"shared-medium" topology, cable modem users may experience
somewhat slower network access during periods of peak demand,
and may be more susceptible to risks such as packet sniffing
and unprotected windows shares than users with other types of
connectivity.
What is DSL
access?
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Internet
connectivity, unlike cable modem-based service, provides the
user with dedicated bandwidth. However, the maximum bandwidth
available to DSL users is usually lower than the maximum cable
modem rate because of differences in their respective network
technologies. Also, the "dedicated bandwidth" is only
dedicated between your home and the DSL provider's central
office -- the providers offer little or no guarantee of
bandwidth all the way across the Internet.
DSL access is not as susceptible to packet sniffing as
cable modem access, but many of the other security risks we'll
cover apply to both DSL and cable modem access.
How are broadband services different
from
traditional dial-up services?
Traditional
dial-up Internet services are sometimes referred to as
"dial-on-demand" services. That is, your computer only
connects to the Internet when it has something to send, such
as email or a request to load a web page. Once there is no
more data to be sent, or after a certain amount of idle time,
the computer disconnects the call. Also, in most cases each
call connects to a pool of modems at the ISP, and since the
modem IP addresses are dynamically assigned, your computer is
usually assigned a different IP address on each call. As a
result, it is more difficult (not impossible, just difficult)
for an attacker to take advantage of vulnerable network
services to take control of your computer.
Broadband services are referred to as "always-on"
services because there is no call setup when your computer has
something to send. The computer is always on the network,
ready to send or receive data through its network interface
card (NIC). Since the connection is always up, your computer’s
IP address will change less frequently (if at all), thus
making it more of a fixed target for attack.
What’s more, many broadband service providers use
well-known IP addresses for home users. So while an attacker
may not be able to single out your specific computer as
belonging to you, they may at least be able to know that your
service providers’ broadband customers are within a certain
address range, thereby making your computer a more likely
target than it might have been otherwise.
Accram is pleased to be a B2B Internet Service
Provider. If you are interested in upgrading your internet
connection, or if you are concerned about the security of your
network, give Accram a call. We offer competitive rates, a
friendly team of support personnel, and monitoring services to
keep you secure and online all the time.
(602)
264-0288
(800)
786-0288
Info@accram.com
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