As the number of residential broadband Internet access subscribers grows, numerous stories appear about hacker attacks in cable and DSL networks. Usually, hacker attacks are aimed at ISPs or corporate networks, but residential users are also at risk. Such hackers are typically mischievous rather than malicious and just as happy to slow down network performance as to gain access to confidential files. A typical dial-up user will be connected for two hours or less, at unpredictable hours of the day. The longer the Internet connection stays on, the more likely a breach will be found.
Broadband access is fast .
A dial-up user may notice slower performance during a hacker attack. Most users will consider this a poor telephone connection, log out and reconnect-effectively ending the attack. Users with broadband connections will not likely notice performance slowdown or any effects of a hacker attack until it is too late. The security of any given system depends on the quality of implementation. Hackers often use a port scan approach to find security holes.