Re: [fw-wiz] LangaList security item

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To: firewall-wizards@honor.icsalabs.com
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 08:26:42 -0400 (EDT)

"Brian Loe" <knobdy@stjoelive.com> wrote:
>
> >From the LangaList - pretty sad it has to be said. Posting since it might
> have some relevance to previous posts about DSL wireless routers supplied by
> ISPs.

I'm reminded of when I first went looking for DSL service. I was on
the phone with tech. support, asking about the DSL device I would
get--whether it was a router, with packet-filtering capability, or a
bridge. Answer: Bridge. Me (horrified): "But that means your
customers' PeeCees are exposed directly to the Internet, their
back-sides hangin' out in the breeze, with no protection at all!" Tech:
"Yeah, but they don't know the difference, and wouldn't know what to do
about it even if they did." Nice attitude. Needless to say, *that*
ISP did not get my business.

I soon found out that ISP's attitude was common. "Oh boy, *this* is
gonna be a disaster," I thought. Little did I know how right I was.

> It's obviously not in AOL's interest to advertise their LACK of
> security, all the while advertising their improved security.

I had to dig, and dig hard, to get down to (up to?) a level of tech.
support that could answer my router/bridge question. It's not that the
sales droid and 1st-line tech. support people wouldn't answer my
questions, they *couldn't* answer them. They didn't understand what I
was talking about.

[snip]
>
> Oh, jeez---- if anything, AOL members need more protection than others!
[snip]

Which may explain why AOL is doing what they're doing--whatever that
is.

So, you take a common consumer/residential broadband connection, which
has no protection at all, add a wireless AP, configured, by default, in
open mode, add an electronic petri dish or two, and what do you have?

Jim

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