Invisible IPv6 Traffic Poses Serious Network Threat

Experts say that most U.S. organizations have hidden IPv6 traffic running across their networks, and that few network managers are equipped to see, manage or block it. Increasingly, this rogue IPv6 traffic includes attacks such as botnet command and controls.

"If you aren't monitoring your network for IPv6 traffic, the IPv6 pathway can be used as an avenue of attack," says Tim LeMaster, director of systems engineering for Juniper's federal group. "What network managers don't understand is that they can have a user running IPv6 on a host and someone could be sending malicious traffic to that host without them knowing it."

Most U.S. network managers are blind to rogue IPv6 traffic because they don't have IPv6-aware firewalls, intrusion detection systems or network management tools. Also, IPv6 traffic is being tunneled over IPv4 connections and appears to be regular IPv4 packets unless an organization has deployed security mechanisms that can inspect tunneled traffic. (See also: 5 of the biggest IPv6-based threats facing CIOs.)

"At least half of U.S. CIOs have IPv6 on their networks that they don't know about, but the hackers do," says Yanick Pouffary, technology director for the North American IPv6 Task Force and an HP Distinguished Technologist. "You can't ignore IPv6. You need to take the minimum steps to secure your perimeter. You need firewalls that understand IPv4 and IPv6. You need network management tools that understand IPv4 and IPv6."

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"Although they're not thinking about IPv6, for most of the Fortune 500, it's in their networks anyways," agrees Dave West, director of systems engineering for Cisco's public sector group. "You may not see IPv6 today as a business driver. But like it or not, you are running IPv6 in your network."

IPv6 is the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol, known as IPv4. IPv6 features vastly more address space, built-in security and enhanced support for streaming media and peer-to-peer applications. Available for a decade, IPv6 has been slow to catch on in the United States. Now that unallocated IPv4 addresses are expected to run out in 2011, the pressure is on U.S. carriers and corporations to deploy IPv6 in the next few years.

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IPv6-based threats are not well understood, but they are becoming more prominent. For example, the issue of IPv6-based attacks was raised at a June meeting of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee, a high-level industry group that advises the White House about cybersecurity.

Other Page In : http://www.csoonline.com/article/497090/invisible-ipv6-traffic-poses-serious-network-threat?page=2

Airtel Support - My Worst Experience

Let it be a security software support center or a broadband support center, if the support system is working good, then the customers are happy. Responses are one important thing that is liked by all, Just wonder how frustrated I am, if I had shot an email to Airtel Broadband support and till that I haven't got an reply. Below is the story that happened. I would have been happy if the support people has responded me on time, stating that "Sorry, there is no feasibility in your area" - if they had said this I would have gone for an alternate. Instead see how much I would have been frustrated after so much patience. Honestly once, I really was happy with the Airtel support, but now...... you will know from the below mail that I sent to airtel.

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from Yuvaraj Rajendran

to Care TamilNadu ,bb.support@airtel.in
date Sep 1, 2009 2:30 PM

subject : High Priority - Regarding Telephone / Broadband line shifting

Dear Support,
I have been calling the Airtel Support "121" and "044-42110198" from Last Monday ie. 24th August 2009 to Till Date i.e. 1st September 2009, regarding, shifting of my telephone line from Velachery to Alandur. I am really NOT HAPPY with the support provided by airtel for the all these days. Just wonder I called from the date specified above to till date, to hear finally that I don't have feasibility in my area. The below are the responses I got from Airtel Customer Support and Airtel Escalation Department.

Monday: I called and said, that I need to shift my Airtel telephone/broadband line from Velchery to Alandur, as I am shifting my home on Wednesday. And customer support executive told me, that the information has been recorded and I would receive a call tomorrow i.e. Tuesday.

Tuesday: As I did not receive any call till noon, I gave an call to Airtel Customer Support, and asked regarding my status. They asked me to call after sometime, so they will check and let me know the status. Later gain I called them, and they said they feasibility for my area is there and again I was told that Airtel Staff would be contacting me soon.

Wednesday: Again the same thing happened, I did not receive the call, and again I gave an call, and put the request regarding the issue, and I was told, definitely I would receive an call, but I did not.

Thursday: As I did not receive the call, I again called the Airtel Tech/customer support, and I was told, that I would receive the connection itself by friday, and I reconfirmed, about my feasibility, and I was told yes, and shifting would be done on the requested date ie. on friday before 5.30 PM, before that I would be getting a call.

Friday: I was waiting, waiting till noon, and again , I gave a call, and was told by one support executive, that I need to clear my outstanding, but the support executive who called me is also not clear about it. And I asked, why I was not told all these days, and then I asked, anyways I am going to shift my line, so I will make the bill payment on the specified date. I was told yes for this. And the issue was Escalated to the Escalation department, and I was assured that I would be given the connection.

Saturday: On Saturday, I was waiting for the connection, but I did not receive any call, and again I called to remind them about the linke shifting, and I was assured by the Airtel Support Manager, that definitely on Monday, I would receive the connection on Monday ie. 31st August 2009. (I was bit happy, that I would be receiving the connection on monday).

Sunday: I called my friend, who works in airtel, and said regarding this, and he said, he would help me on monday if not done.

Monday: I was waiting for the confirmation call on Monday, till noon, and I gave an call, regarding this, and one customer support executive picked my call, before I can tell anything, not even listening to me, she said "Thank You for Calling Airtel Support Center, Have a nice day" and disconnected the phone. Again I called up, and I was told by some other support guy, who assured me, We would provide the connection in the specified time, and I would receive a call in 30 Minutes.

You know something, I was happy the moment I was told like this, (Just a small wonder, I have took an OFF for my office this day, for the purpose, that I am going to get a connection), but my happiness did not last long. I was given a called by the airtel care center, and an other guy told me, I need to clear my outstanding balance of Rs.653, and in the next 30 minutes, I went to all the way from Alandur to T.Nagar, to pay the outstanding balance and I paid Rs.700. I did pay the bil andl I was waiting for the connection on Tuesday.

Tuesday: Really Really got Frustrated, I called the customer support thrice, and all the 3 times, I was in hold for a long time, and finally reached a support engineer, and asked to transfer me to escalation department. And I was put on hold for a long time, and the line got cut, before I could speak to someone. Again I called, I was put on hold for such a long time, and was finally, the escalation department manager( I don't know if it is the real designation of the person) has told the customer support executive to say, that there is no network connectivity in my area.

I was so fed up and shouted at the executive, I felt pity on the executive, what can she do for the fault of the Team Leads or Managers, who give wrong information.

I know its a longmail, still wonder, last tuesday I was told, I have got the feasibility, and now I was told there is no network feasibility. (Is this a tactic to get the unpaid bill amount from me, before I relocate?) Kindly do have check at my bill payments, never I have made a late payment. Is this the way you people handle the customer? ITS LIKE CHEATING ME AFTER GIVING ME THE ASSURANCE. If I was told this early, atleast I would have gone for some other service provider. Because of this, I lost my patience, my companies salary for 2 days, mine and my brothers work got affected and lot of unwanted tensions.

If I was told early, I would have made some alternate arrangement. I wanted this to be notified to the concerned person/top executives. Else, the top executives won't be aware about these kind of issues.

Anyways, a small wonder, If I am not going to be a airtel customer, it not going to be a huge loss, but if there are thousands of people, who face the problems as I do, then what?

Kindly try to resolve this issue, before I could blog it. (I am an online marketing consultant, wonder what I will do without internet). Atleast let my existing line be there, so that I can work for a week, till I get the new line either from you or other service provider. SURELY I WILL PAY MY BILL IF THAT ALL YOU WANT.

Thanks,

Yuvaraj
www.hermesmyth.com
www.crapcorner.com
http://yuvi-internetsecurity.blogspot.com

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I don't know if reaches the top people in airtel, but still inspite I told I would post what happened in my blog, there were no responses. some 2 to 3 weeks I just called to know, if my connection was disconnected from my old place.