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:

"The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is still a popular means of connecting with most businesses..."

"...the sensational stories of Internet sites being hacked overshadow more prosaic dial-up intrusions that are in all likelihood more damaging and easier to perform."

"Securing dial-up connectivity is still probably one of the most important steps towards sealing up perimeter security."

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.