Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!mcnc!ecsvax!howell
From: howell@ecsvax.UUCP (Doc A. Howell)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Security on ethernet, recent LAN mag article
Message-ID: <4826@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: 28 Mar 88 23:21:54 GMT
References: <4805@ecsvax.UUCP>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 35
Keywords: ethernet,security
Summary: Ethernet security, the options


  From what I hear there seems to be two basic options in securing an
ethernet packet from the probing eyes of another user on the same
network. The first would be some means of seperation, physical via
completly seperate networks or logically via a bridge, router etc...
  The second would be encryption of data within the packets. 

  It seems there are several products out that offer each of these 
alternatives. If you go the physically seperate route, then you still
have to figure someway to let the networks communicate, since that was
probably the reason you put the network in to begin with. This could
be done with gateways, but it seems there is still the potential to have
sensitive data in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

  The logical seperation with bridges and routers seems to be feasible,
although costly, but the question of being able to ping, probe and 
otherwise shoot holes through that scheme is still an issue. There is
still the question of data sensitive data being viewed as it moves from
one network side to the other. 

  Encryption looks to me to be the best solution, but it appears most
people are looking at this from a software standpoint. Trying to hide
passwords and such does little good when a patient person can just sit 
and wait for what he wants to see go by. 

  This is obviously a tough one or it would have been solved by now, I
suppose it is a matter of wait and see what happens. Anyone have any 
ideas of the best and CHEAPEST way to handle this problem? Now is your
chance to run out and make a killing in the SECURE THE ETHERNET MARKET!!


Doc (I hope nobody is watching) Howell
At Univ. of N.C. at Wilmington

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