The news several weeks ago that hackers had offered to sell source code for Cisco's Pix proprietary security firewall software to all takers for $24,000 sent a shiver through network administrators.
After all, if that code got into the hands of the wrong people, security holes could be found and exploited, and networks everywhere could be exceedingly vulnerable.
That fear has worried a good many of you. That's what a survey of Networking Pipeline readers found. A surprisingly high 44% of readers said that the theft may compromise their network's security. Only 24% said they were safe despite the theft. And nearly a third, 32%, hadn't heard of the theft, so couldn't comment on whether it would endanger their network.
That means that of the people who had heard of the theft, a whopping 65% worry that the theft has made them vulnerable.
Luckily, though, it's very unlikely networks will be targeted. There's no confirmation that the hackers really had their hands on the source code. And it's not very likely that the kind of people who get their jollies by breaking into networks will be willing to fork over $24,000 for the code. In fact, it's not that likely they even have $24,000 in the bank.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
