IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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- The use of active network components which are not designed for use with
certain protocols might prevent the use of these protocols or of additionally
required services.
Example: A network consisting exclusively of active components which
only support IP routing or IP switching does not allow a Novell NetWare
network operating system to be run on a SPX/IPX basis.
- The use of passive network components which impose restrictions on the
possible network access protocols might prevent future scaling of the
network.
Example: A network consisting exclusively of 50-ohm coaxial cables does
not allow the use of ATM. Networks consisting of 150-ohm twisted-pair
cables do not allow the use of 100-ohm Ethernet components. Such
conceptual deficiencies, partly historical in nature, require costly changes
to the network infrastructure.
Although a network can have a neutral design with respect to applications,
systems and services, the use of highly heterogeneous components can give
rise to high maintenance requirements which might exceed the scope of ability
of the operating personnel. This can impair the availability of the network if
failures or malfunctions on passive or active network components cannot be
remedied quick enough due to a lack of personnel capacity.
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000