There tends to be a lot of misinformation in press and on the street about Internet security in general and cable modem security in particular. We hope youíll make use of the following FAQ to answer your questions about what the risks actually are and what to do about them.

Are Cable Modems More Insecure Than Other Forms Of Internet Access?

No. Cable modems were designed with security in mind and protect customers just as well as other forms of Internet access, including dial-up, ISDN, and ADSL.

Can I Disconnect From Road Runner When Iím Not Using It?

The easiest way to disconnect from Road Runner is to simply turn off your computer when you arenít using it. If you want to disconnect from the Internet and still be able to use your computer, the safest means is to disconnect the 10BaseT cable from the back of your computer. A third option is to release the IP address you were dynamically assigned when you started using the Internet in this particular session; utilities like Winipcfg on Windows 95 and Windows 98 provide this functionality. You can access this dialog box by clicking on Start-->Run and typing the word "winipcfg" (without quotes.) On windows NT, 2000, or XP you can go to Start-->Run and type "cmd." From within this DOS shell type "ipconfig /release" to release your IP.

Will Cable Modems Let People "Hack" My Computer?

In order for a computer to be broken into via the Internet, it has to be running some kind of "server" software that allows it to respond to commands from other people on the Internet. In most cases, personal computer operating systems like Windows 95 and 98 and the Mac OS offer few built-in servers, none of which are enabled by default. The one exceptionófile and print sharingócan pose a security risk regardless of what form of Internet access you use, and we cover this risk in detail later in this document.

A much bigger threat today stems from server software which you may run on your computer accidentally. Malicious programmers are starting to embed small "trojan horse" programs that may otherwise seem cute or useful but, when run, can enable hackers to access your computer. These programs are often distributed as shareware or as email attachments, usually sent by people who donít know they are sending something destructive. You should always be wary of opening or running any email attachment ending in .exe.

Can Other People See What I Send And Receive Through A Cable Modem?

No. While cable modems use a shared data channel, the modems were designed to prevent anyone from intercepting data sent to or from a cable modem. First, our cable modems only deliver TCP/IP traffic; other protocols, such as NetBEUI and AppleTalk, cannot be transmitted via cable modems. Second, our cable modems only deliver data targeted at the IP addresses of the computers connected to them; there is no way to "sniff" packets sent to or from other subscriberís computers. Third, all data to and from the cable modem is encrypted using 56-bit DES.

While we canít control whether data our customers send is intercepted after it enters the Internet, reputable websites usually take steps to protect sensitive information ó- such as credit card numbers -ó by using secure transactions that encrypt all data sent and received. This encryption provides additional security for cable modems and other forms of Internet access.

Can Other People See Whatís On My Computer?

Only if you want them to. Modern operating systems were designed to put you in charge of your computer, including what you choose to share with other people. Using file and print sharing, it is possible to share certain files with certain people via a home LAN. In Microsoft Windows, the default configuration is to also allow these files to be shared via the Internet if you have any kind of Internet connection. We always recommend using passwords to prevent unauthorized intrusion into your computer, although taking the following steps should go a long way to securing your Windows computer.

If you have file and print sharing turned on in Windows 95 and 98, you should disable the TCP/IP binding for this service. You should grab someone who knows computers and follow Microsoftís detailed "how to" on the web at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q199/3/46.asp. Hereís the nutshell version:

1. Open the Network control panel.
2. Click TCP/IP->Ethernet Adapter, click Properties, and then click the Bindings tab.
3. Click to clear the File and Printer Sharing check box, click OK, and then click OK.
4. Restart your computer.

If you are running Windows NT, you should grab someone who knows computers and read the following guide to NT security on the web at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q164/8/82.asp. In a nutshell, you should first disable the TCP/IP binding for NetBIOS as follows:

1. Open the Network control panel.
2. In the Network dialog box, click the Bindings tab, select the NetBIOS Protocol, and then click on the TCP/IP binding.
3. Click the Disable button to disable TCP/IP for NetBIOS.
4. Click OK, then click OK again.

Then you should disable the IP Forwarding feature as follows:

1. Open the Network control panel.
2. In the Network dialog box, click the Protocols tab, select TCP/IP Protocol, and then click Properties.
3. In the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box, click Routing.
4. Make sure the check box for Enable IP Forwarding is cleared.
5. Click OK, then click OK again.

Macintosh users that use file and print sharing are not subject to the same potential security problems and require no special setup. If you choose to use the Web sharing feature of the Mac OS, you should read the instructions carefully to ensure you are only sharing the files you want via the Internet.