Security issues

[satyre]

I have a DSL connection with SBC, now it is AT&T, and I lost the connection for two days.

Last Saturday, a technician came over to my house with a laptop that has a small antenna. He was able to establish a connection to my line without any physical attachment. I am using a simple Efficient Networks 5360 model ADSL modem that has no wireless connection either.

I wonder how he was able to establish a connection with my line to test it. I asked him about it; he said that he doesn't know how it works. All he knows is to run the program in his laptop to test the line.

He said, he tested my line even before coming to my home from his truck and saw the problem. Then he called someone at ATT to rebuild my line connection..

So that means anyone can hack into a line like this with that equipment.

Anybody knows what is the technology here.

[YeOldeStonecat]

They connect from the outside, they don't connect to the inside of your LAN with their equipment unless you see them do it. They run cell cards in their laptops which connect their their own private intranet to get access to phoco tools.

[satyre]

Thanks YOS,

Ok, then how do they test the specific telephone pair line from my home?

[YeOldeStonecat]

They access your modem from an external login.

[satyre]

Thanks YOS.

I have another question.

Is there any technology existing to copy a Hard drive without using any normal PC interfaces or protocol or any kind of physical connection?

What I am thinking of is the application of induction. or similar to skimming the data from the back of the credit card so on.

If there is any we all have to be careful walking with laptops. I am kind of paranoid now

Are you aware of anything ?

[YeOldeStonecat]

I'm not aware of anything that can read a computers hard drive from a distance, without some form of physical connection to the ATA cable.