BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
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TECHNOLOGY 5 6 | B R O A D B A N D C O M M U N I T I E S | w w w. b r o a d b a n d c o m m u n i t i e s . c o m | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 An Ounce of Prevention Because broadband has become an essential utility, network operators must prepare to deal with threats to system reliability – including malicious attacks. By David Daugherty / Clarus Broadband M y article "Broadband Do-It- Yourselfers," published in the October 2018 issue of Broad B and Communities , discussed several developers of master-planned communities who were considering building their own fiber networks. ese developers know that rock-solid, future- proof networks will be necessary to attract residents and support smart-community applications. ey began to consider the DIY alternative when they could not obtain commitments from service providers to build and maintain state-of-the-art networks. However, building such a network is not straightforward, and operating it is even less so. Would-be do-it-yourselfers must understand what it takes to design and operate a stable, reliable network. In this year's hurricane season, buildings were flattened, bridges washed away and communications networks destroyed. A few well-built structures survived where others didn't. Clearly, an ounce of planning could have prevented considerably more than the proverbial "pound of trouble." e internet, much like the weather, is unpredictable – with one notable exception. Providers know that future demand will present unanticipated design and operational challenges, so why use design and operating standards tuned to today's needs? Why not take a hint from Mother Nature and pay for an ounce of protection? CYBERSECURITY One type of storm network operators will have to prepare for is malicious disruption. It turns out that the U.S. government is good at planning for inclement weather, at least as far as the internet is concerned. Despite the recent concern over international hacking, the federal government is pretty well prepared. It has been gearing up for "future" cyber threats since 2014. is is apparently not true for state and local governments. e internet is changing commerce in new and unexpected ways. "Alexa, mute the TV" has become an hourly refrain for many telecommuters. However, advertisements on streaming services can now instruct Alexa to make purchases on a credit card. What's next? is is just the tip of the iceberg. e last Pinterest image my wife clicked on activated embedded malware that quietly installed a Trojan designed to record keystrokes and transmit them to China! As internet-based services and commerce become more integrated and complex, malware is undergoing a similar metamorphosis. e standard solution to this problem – subscription-based antivirus software resident on subscriber devices – is not sufficient to address and eliminate the rapidly growing universe of Malware, just like internet services and commerce, is becoming more integrated and complex.