Router attacks

The diversity of the early Internet is long gone. These days, 80 to 90 percent of the computers that run the Net are routers manufactured by Cisco Systems. This makes them especially vulnerable to common flaws.

8. Find a key bug in Cisco's operating system and exploit it.

9. Get a job at Cisco and plant your own vulnerability in the operating system.

10. Convince 50,000 people to ping key backbone routers, resulting in CPU overload.

11. Capture administrative passwords used to access key Internet backbone routers. Break in and change configurations, then change the passwords.

12. Alter each backbone ISP's master router configuration files so that next time the routers are updated, they crash.

13. Block legitimate administrative access to the machines.

14. Insert forged routes into Internet routing tables to take key machines off the Internet.

15. Announce on the Internet's routing tables that your router is absolutely the best router to get to Mae East.

16. Get physical access to key routers in out-of-the-way locations and unplug them.

17. Don't bother with the routers, just unplug the air conditioners.