The Backhoe: A Real Cyberthreat?
sgorman1 at gmu.edu
sgorman1 at gmu.edu
Thu Jan 19 21:28:54 UTC 2006
Agree that a level of security is required, but the real value is in customers like banks knowing where their fiber is, so when they lease service for a back up provider they know it is not in the same ditch.
The article attribute the pro regulation quote to me, but actually it was out of context. I was proposing that you need an anonymous secure data pool that cusomers could qery to see what providers for a set of buildings are diverse. The mathematics to do the diversity optimization are available just an issue of data.
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Shultz <jeffshultz at wvi.com>
Date: Thursday, January 19, 2006 3:42 pm
Subject: Re: The Backhoe: A Real Cyberthreat?
>
> Jerry Pasker wrote:
> >
> >> While it is always fun to call the government stupid, or anyone
> else
> >> for that matter, there is a little more to the story.
> >>
> >> - For one you do not need a backhoe to cut fiber
> >> - Two, fiber carries a lot more than Internet traffic - cell
> phone,
> >> 911, financial tranactions, etc. etc.
> >> - Three, while it is very unlikely terrorists would only attack
> >> telecom infrastructure, a case can be made for a telecom attack
> that
> >> amplifies a primary conventional attack. The loss of
> communications
> >> would complicate things quite a bit.
> >>
> >> I'll agree it is very far fethced you could hatch an attack
> plan from
> >> FCC outage reports, but I would not call worrying about attacks
> on
> >> telecommunications infrastructure stupid. Enough sobriety
> though,
> >> please return to the flaming.
> >
> > I agree with you on all points except the one you didn't make.
> :-)
> >
> > The point is: What's more damaging? Being open with the maps
> to
> > EVERYONE can see where the problem areas are so they can design
> around
> > them? (or chose not to) or pulling the maps, and reports, and
> sticking
> > our heads in the sand, and hoping that security through
> obscurity works.
> >
>
> The people who have the problem areas should already know about
> them and
> be designing around them. I'm sure that Sprint, for example,
> knows
> very well where backhoes have gone through it's fiber. Although it
> sounds like they may not know where all their fiber is... <sigh>
>
> Joe Schmuck down on 2nd Street doesn't need to know about the
> problem
> areas and his input would likely be unwelcome.
>
> And no security or amount of redundancy is likely to be perfect -
> and
> these companies are in business to make money after all.
>
> Obscurity is not the entire answer. But it should be part of it.
>
> --
> Jeff Shultz
>
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