Well the argument of that's the way cable is doesn't hack it because as I said it is not doing this when directly connected to a computer. As to cable and security this is a
DOCSIS 3 modem and if I am reading the statements below correctly my data is 128 bit AES secure. I have four bonded channels. I don't think my neighbors have access unless they are crunching pretty good!
Security
DOCSIS includes
MAC layer security services in its
Baseline Privacy Interface
specifications. DOCSIS 1.0 utilized the initial Baseline Privacy
Interface (BPI) specification. BPI was later improved with the release
of the Baseline Privacy Interface Plus (BPI+) specification used by
DOCSIS 1.1 & 2.0. Most recently, a number of enhancements to the
Baseline Privacy Interface were added as part of DOCSIS 3.0, and the
specification was renamed "Security" (SEC).
The intent of the BPI/SEC specifications is to describe MAC layer security services for DOCSIS CMTS to
cable modem communications. BPI/SEC security goals are twofold:
- provide cable modem users with data privacy across the cable network
- provide cable service operators with service protection; i.e.,
prevent unauthorized modems and users from gaining access to the
networkâs RF MAC services
BPI/SEC is intended to prevent cable users from listening to each other. It does this by
encrypting data flows between the CMTS and the cable modem. BPI & BPI+ utilize 56-bit
DES encryption, while SEC adds support for 128-bit
AES.
All versions provide for periodic key refreshes (at a period configured
by the network operator) in order to increase the level of protection.
BPI/SEC is intended to allow cable service operators to refuse
service to uncertified cable modems and unauthorized users. BPI+
strengthened service protection by adding
digital certificate based authentication to its
key exchange protocol, using a
public key infrastructure (PKI), based on
digital certificate authorities (CAs) of the certification testers, currently Excentis (formerly known as tComLabs) for EuroDOCSIS and
CableLabs
for DOCSIS. The relationship of the cable modem to the user is often
done by means of manually adding the cable modem's MAC address to a
customer's account with the cable service operator,
[9][10]
who would then allow network access to a cable modem which can attest
to that MAC address using a valid certificate issued via the PKI. The
earlier BPI specification (ANSI/SCTE 22-2) had limited service
protection because the underlying
key management protocol did not
authenticate the user's cable modem.
Security in the DOCSIS network is vastly improved when only business
critical communications are permitted, and end user communication to the
network infrastructure is denied. Successful attacks often occur when
the CMTS is configured for backwards compatibility with early
pre-standard DOCSIS 1.1 modems. These modems were "software upgradeable
in the field", but did not include valid DOCSIS or EuroDOCSIS root
certificates.