If you thought about the computer language of choice for coding
business applications today, you might immediately think of Java,
Microsoft's C# or C++ as the languages of choice. Like as not, COBOL wouldn't
feature. Not even in your top 10. Yet some 50 years after its creation, COBOL
is still the driving force behind many of the world's key
business systems, with an estimated 180 billion lines of code in use
globally,
and 5 billion added annually. 1,2 So, what does COBOL have to do with
modems? Fundamentally, nothing. The example simply serves to illustrate the
natural prejudices that we often hold against the old and mundane, in favour
of
the new and interesting. And this is where the parallel exists with modems.
If
you talk to many IT professionals today, with the ubiquity of broadband they
would view modem access as being equally as irrelevant and archaic from a
remote access perspective as COBOL is to software development.
Indeed, it is true that nowadays modems are seldom to be found externally
attached to computer systems. But that's only true because they are
seldom
to be found at all: they have become invisible - embedded within not only
computer systems, but also key elements of infrastructure. The
problem in perception arises because people link two entirely unrelated
events together.
Whereas consumers have moved away from analogue modems to cable or DSL
devices, the paradox is that analogue modems continue to play an increasingly
important
role in providing cost-effective management of key systems within most large
organisations.
The issues relating to understanding modem access are grounded in how
prejudice influences perception, and vice versa: - broadband access
is
cheap and ubiquitous, so analogue modem connectivity is 'old hat' and
irrelevant
- because we don't see modems, we don't perceive them as a
risk
- because key decision makers often don't fully understand the
roles
that modems continue to fulfill, or see how they fit within the security
architecture,
they
underestimate the risks that they pose. It's a common misconception, for
example, that a firewall can provide protection against modem access
(despite
the fact that a modem simply goes around it)
 You really shouldn't
leave the risks unknown and unquantified, but don't just take our word for
it. In the latest release of their seminal work on network
security3, some renowned
experts summarised the status quo regarding dial-up modem access in
three succinct phrases: |
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This is precisely where we can help. Our aim is to provide
cost-effective, practical solutions to help you address and manage the
issues. We can supply both our own industry-leading software product (Xiscan
6), a range of Managed Service offerings, or any combination in between,
tailored to suit your individual needs. But if you still aren't
convinced
of the problem, please take a moment to look
at
our modem security FAQ
section. |