Handbook of Information Security, Volume 1, Key Concepts, Infrastructure, Standards, and Protocols

Security of Broadband Access Networks

Peter L. Heinzmann, University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland Rapperswil and cnlab Information Technology Research AG

Introduction

“Broadband” Internet Access: Definition and Technologies

Broadband Market Situation

Broadband Threats and Vulnerabilities

Broadband Network Security Issues

Broadband Network Architecture

Basic Broadband Network Security Concerns

Wiretapping

Direct Access to Subscriber Systems

Access to Subscriber Files and Resources

Changing Service Parameters

How to Improve Broadband Security

Measures and Responsibilities

Building Awareness

Combination of Security Measures

Conclusion

Glossary

Cross References

References

Further Reading

General Broadband Links

Cable Modem Organizations and Links

xDSL Organizations and Links

Security Links

INTRODUCTION

“Broadband” Internet Access: Definition and Technologies

There is no generally accepted broadband definition. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines “first-generation broadband” to mean “advanced telecommunications capability” and “advanced service” that differs from dial-up Internet access in several important ways (Powell et al., 2004):

• First, broadband Internet access provides high-speed connection with more than 200 Kb/s customer-to-provider (upstream) and provider-to-customer (downstream) transmission speeds.
• Second, unlike dial-up access, broadband provides always-on connections so that users can receive as well as send data without having to reconnect ...