On Mon, 8 Oct 2001, Joerg Dietze wrote:

> noticed today that sys admins at our local office of the "Deutsche Bank"
> had stickers attached to the computer monitors with the local IP
> addresses visible for everyone who wants them to know. OK, they're not
> running M$ but OS/2 and I'm sure there is a firewall but if one knows
> "where to go today"... :-(.

Consider these points, and see if it doesn't make
you feel more comfortable about the safety of your
information/money.

1)  Even if there was an external connection through a 
firewall, the fact that you know the numbering scheme 
of the internal machines is analogous to knowing the 
apartment number without knowing the street address...  
Heh,  "Hello, I'd like a mushroom and pepperoni pizza 
please.  I live in Apt. 2B."
 
2)  There are plenty of local networks that don't
even have a connection to the outside world... 
especially in banks and military installations.
When I was an Information Systems Security Officer at 
Naval Aviation Depot, Jacksonville, our LAN had no 
external interface at all.  Even if you knew the IP of 
every terminal on the network, it doesn't do you any 
good if there's no copper from the "outside world" to 
the network.

3)  It's very doubtful that any data is actually kept 
on any of those machines.  They most likely serve as 
"dumb terminals," having the sole function of 
transferring data to one of the ultra-locked down and 
secure database servers... one of which probably 
resides in the secret basement of the vault... ;-)

 - Steve

Reply via email to