Archive for December, 2010

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Online Security

Today I received what looked like a calculator from my Bank who now uses this system for Business Customers to login into their online bank accounts.  With online Banking fraud costing business £95 million a year you can understand why banks are trying to protect themselves.  How does that affect us Golf Professionals though.   Anytime you use a username or password on a third part website or on a free WI-FI area like airports, internet café’s that do not use encrypted password systems you are venerable to what’s known in the trade as sniffing.  This is what Google were doing when they were doing their street map exercise. 
Fraudsters know this and target those areas for other info.  Many people, who use usernames and passwords tend to use the same ones over and over again, seldom change them and it’s only a matter of time before they crack your important login info. for sites such as ebay, amazon and bank accounts.

When we were deciding how we would secure our ebook systems it was pretty plain that all info would need to be held on our server and this is where the login would need to be also, rather than embedding login and review sections on our customer’s website.  Using this third party option makes the system open to hacking. That means if login sections are on your website and your server is not actually hosting the information you are open to attack especially if there is a password retrieval option.
Punishment for improper security is pretty severe if it traces back to you. In the US the FBI take a dim view if they find out an unsecure system and fines are very heavy.
There are some simple but great tips available from John on the Gadget show Episode 13 part 2.

Gadget Show video on internet security