Hacking: An Inside Job?
Author: Scott Lindsay

"Leaving your Web applications insecure makes no more sense
than building a brick wall but using a gate made from chain
link fencing." – James Gaskin

Whenever the President of the United States travels anywhere
there are numerous individuals charged with making sure the
President is secure and unharmed from attack. This is the
premise behind Internet security. The work you have done on
your site is the product of valuable time and energy. For some
business owners the website represents significant research and
creative energy. It is possible for a vulnerable website to be
hijacked and remade in the image of something that only
resembles your website in name only or to have safeguarded data
copied for the use of a third party.

One of the biggest mistakes a website owner can make is
allowing the work to be left unguarded. As reported in recent
years hacking of a computer system can occur both from within a
company or from a remote location, which makes the use of
Internet security so important.

"Advances in firewall technology (making them easier to install
and configure), improvements in vulnerability scanning and
better explanations of how to repair them, and better
intrusion-detection with fewer false-positives are all key
technologies in this race." – Dr. Charles C. Palmer

Some hackers argue they are not involved in felonious
activities, but are simply seeking knowledge and using the
internet to find answers, however the U.S. Government views the
activity as a felony and punishable by applicable state and
federal laws.

It should be noted that the term hacker has been adjusted. No
longer is the term 'hacker' only used to describe someone
gifted at programming and is able to break a website code to
gain access to information. Today a hacker is also someone who
misappropriates company data. Typically this scenario occurs
from an inside and often trusted source.

"System administrators must learn about and maintain their
systems securely. Users have to understand their security
responsibilities." – Dr. Charles C. Palmer

In many cases, business are now making a non-disclosure
agreement a part of the hiring procedure to provide an extra
legal recourse in the event that data is electronically removed
and used in ways unauthorized by company heads.

"If a stranger came into your house, looked through everything,
touched several items, and left (after building a small, out of
the way door to be sure he could easily enter again), would you
consider that harmless?" – Dr. Charles C. Palmer

Taking security issues seriously is needed in the development
of a web-based business infrastructure. It may be worth
exploring both on-site and off-site security features as a
means of ensuring the long-term usability of your website.


About The Author: Scott Lindsay is a web developer and
entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many
other web projects. HighPowerSites is the easiest
do-it-yourself website builder on the web. Get your own website
online in just 5 minutes with http://HighPowerSites.com at:
http://www.highpowersites.com