Sniffing A Cable Modem Network: Possible or Myth?

There are a growing number of warnings from various sources regarding the security threats associated with cable modems. This paper focuses primarily on the threat of malicious users sniffing on a cable modem network. Most of these warnings about sniffing cable modem networks emphasize the fact that the physical media employed by the cable modem network is a shared medium. I contend that these warnings are unfounded.