Broadband bursts: As buildouts continue, has security been forgotten?

Having a strong broadband strategy is key for telecom carriers. AT&T recently made that very clear by relying on multiple tactics, not just one broadband strategy. The carrier outlined its plans for taking a multiphased and multifaceted approach to broadband by leveraging its acquired strength in the cable industry along with an aggressive plan for DSL. Although these schemes seem to cover all bases, the carrier still must remember security issues.

But although AT&T has Tele-Communications Inc. and Teleport Communications Group to provide a beefy cable offering, the DSL footprint falls a little short. To immediately expand that footprint, AT&T is turning to DSL providers to supplement its own facilities. Although AT&T is not usually vocal about such partnerships, the Securities and Exchange Commission decided it was time to talk. At the prompting of the SEC, AT&T and Rhythms NetConnections announced their partnership to deliver DSL access after a sudden increased in activity in Rhythms' stock on the same day AT&T revealed its broadband strategy.

"AT&T typically does not announce partners, unlike some other carriers, but in this case, we both felt it was important enough," said Catherine Hapka, Rhythms chairman and CEO. "AT&T is on a broadband local loop sort of a quest, which they have done largely with big plays on the cable side, and now they are making a really big play on the DSL side."

Rhythms will participate with AT&T in 43 cities initially, which AT&T plans to turn up by the end of October, Hapka said. AT&T already has turned up service in 17 markets and plans to expand that footprint to 100 markets by the end of 2000.

"We will be using both Rhythms and Covad Communications to supplement our own facilities," said Manish Malhotra, director of broadband business services for AT&T. Hapka added that the deal was obviously not exclusive, while Rich Wong, Covad's director of marketing, feels Covad has the upper hand.

"AT&T invested in us before we went public, so they have a definite interest in us," Wong said. In contrast, MCI WorldCom, which has given Rhythms its preferred provider blessing, has a significant investment in Rhythms.

But as AT&T moves forward with its broadband expansion, Malhotra was careful to point out the emphasis on multiple access technologies.

"Alone, neither of the technologies have ubiquitous coverage that our customers ask for," he said. By employing both cable and DSL offerings, one technology picks up where the other has limitations.

But most would agree that the two technologies have security problems in common, however.

Service providers and carriers are turning up broadband services just as quickly as eager customers can plug them in, but in most cases, the emphasis has not been placed on security. "Everyone is running wild deploying [broadband access services], but the security is being overlooked," said Peter Meade, senior telecom analyst at Cahners In-Stat Group.

But security problems are nothing new to access technologies of any kind, said Brent Chapman, director of technical marketing for Covad. "People should be just as concerned about dial-up access as they are about cable and DSL - they all involve shared connections," he said.

Covad cannot protect the data that travels over its DSL lines because it doesn't actually look at the data, Chapman said. The difference can be made through the ISPs, he added.

To help service providers lessen such security hazards, Nortel Networks will announce this week the availability of its Secure DSL services enabled through the Shasta 5000 broadband service node. "With the always-on nature of DSL and cable, people are always open for attack," said David Ginsburg, director of field marketing for Nortel's Shasta product line.

"The product allows service providers to create firewall policies for each individual subscriber," said Ginsburg. Additionally, that function will enable providers to set tiered access policies and track, monitor and bill according to the type of service subscribed to, Ginsburg said. The Shasta product also shields other access technologies, such as cable and dial-up.

AT&T, which is currently using virtual private network services and IP security to protect its customers, plans to evaluate the product and other vendors' products, Malhotra said.