Simplifying the Web Site Security Issue

Web site security vulnerabilities are a common problem but few web site owners, business operators or even web designers truly understand the nature of the problem. 

I wrote some time ago about why web site security is important for everyone but it is a hard concept to communicate to people who have little or no understanding of the technology involved in hosting a web site, Internet service or e-commerce business. 

So this article is an attempt to make a non-technical comparison which can be understood by anyone. 

Imagine you own a Conference Centre (your website). This facility has lots of rooms (pages) and attracts hundreds of attendees (visitors or customers computers) every day. Some attendees will come regularly for different courses or will cover the same course over and over again. 

Other attendees may have a quick look around and decide they aren't ready to do a course just yet. But may come back later. 

Unbeknown to you, one of the training rooms has a broken lock on the fire exit (vulnerability) through which every day a hypnotist enters. 

This hypnotist is a nasty person (malware) and he quickly hypnotises (infects) everyone in the room. He tells them to gather as much information on the financial transactions of those around them as they can. Then, when they hear the keyword "download", they will divulge all the information they have gathered and forget what they have done. 

So the attendees go off about their day-to-day activities and, without realising what they're doing, quietly gather the information. 

They collect the bank statements and account details of their family and loved ones, they watch as people enter PIN numbers at the checkout and they copy down and skim credit card details. 

They also collect security codes, PIN numbers and password used for non-financial purposes because they know people reuse them frequently and they may be useful. 

Then, a few days later a phone call arrives and the keyword is mentioned. The attendee passes everything they have gathered to the hypnotist. 

Days, weeks or months pass before anyone starts noticing. First it's a card transaction declined. Then it's bailiffs calling round and before long the reason is understood - the family and friends of the attendee have been the victims of identity theft and fraud, and have lost thousands. 

Tens, hundreds or even thousands of people have been robbed of thousands or even millions of pounds. 

Eventually, the auhorities trace the cause of the problem back to the Conference Centre but there's no sign of the hypnotist. 

All that happens now is the attendees lose confidence in the Conference Centre and stop coming. Very quickly the centre goes out of business. 

And all because the owner of the conference centre didn't make sure the facility was secure. 

Secure Thinking When Online

If you run a small business or you manage the HR department of a large organisations you may well be aware of some of the issues surrounding staff use of social networking sites.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, professional networking sites like LinkedIn, and the various personal and professional blogging facilities, not to mention the micro-blogging sites like Twitter provide everyone with an opportunity to communicate with others with whom they have an affinity, voice their grievances and raise awareness of issues.

The problem for businesses and employers is when employees over-step the professional/social boundary.

If employees use social networking to make comments about the company, fellow employees, management or customers it can have a dire effect on business, perceptions and relationships both inside and external to the organisation.

Whilst many companies are aware of this and take some steps to mitigate the risk, it is often only done using a stick.  The general approach appears to be to discipline anyone who oversteps the mark - even when those marks aren't clearly defined.  This leads to further frustration and ultimately a breakdown in relations between employer and employee.

At Secure Thinking, we believe that this approach is wrong and have now decided to do something about it.  We are therefore offering a new awareness service - Secure Thinking When Online - where we will come on site at your company, or other location, and present to your staff about the risks of online behaviour, why the rules exist and how to protect themselves in their everyday internet based activities.

10 Social Networking Security Tips

Social Networking is the biggest thing to hit the internet since it began.  The sheer numbers involved are staggering.  If Facebook was a country it would be the 3rd largest in the world behind India.  It can be a massive force for good, yet it comes with inherent dangers, not least of which is to your security.

As such Secure Thinking have produced our 10 Social Networking Security Tips, to keep you safe and secure whilst chatting with your mates!

1. Don't publish too much
Don't publish too much information about yourself, your personal life, and your family online.  Things to avoid if possible are full dates of birth, mother's maiden name, 1st pet's name, 1st school, or make sure you lie to these types of things.  After all, they are all used by major institutions as "security" questions, so don't make it easy for someone to target you.

2. Assume everything is public
Always assume that everything that you post on the internet will at some point become public domain.  The rules and settings employed by the service provider now might change in the future.  Never post or say anything online that you wouldn't want your mum, your boss, future employers or future partners to find out about!  This includes "chats" with other people and "status updates", all of which have the potential to be public or become visible to others.

3. The internet never forgets
Unlike you an I, who have a habit of forgetting things on a regular basis, the internet won't forget.  That means the embarrassing photo's from your stag/hen party will still be hanging around the next time you get married!  And even if you delete images or remove content, there's a good chance it's been copied, backed-up or cached by another internet service.  This is an important fact that people tend to forget.

4. Don't "connect" with people you don't know
Don't accept "friend" or "connection" requests from just anybody unless you're aware of the risks.  Accounts of users are regularly monitored and targeted for malicious purposes with the intention of gaining something - either identity information or more often money in some way.

5. Don't trust even your "friends"
Remember, unless you can verify the identity of a user account without simply trusting they are who they claim to be don't trust them!  A genuine friend could have had their account compromised or someone may have set-up an account in their name with the intention of gathering information on you and others you know.

6. Don't announce your plans to the world
If you're going on holiday to Thailand for a fortnight, that's great, but don't tell the world and his wife when you're going, when you're returning, which hotel you're staying in and who's traveling with you!  This information is brilliant for burglars, muggers, identity thieves and anyone else who fancies free board and lodgings in you home while you're away.  Remember points 4 and 5!

7. Be wary of "apps"
"Apps" are great fun, what harm could they do, they're all provided by the site?  This isn't true.  Many "apps" are developed by individuals and companies external to the social network you're using and they often re-use code segments from other apps.  As such there's no guarantee the apps you're using are simply there for your enjoyment and aren't harvesting your data.  Now some harvesting is done for legitimate marketing and research purposes, but some of it is also done with not so innocent intentions.  As such be wary and don't download/install/add the "app" unless you really need to.

8. Avoid location based services
I know they're the new up and coming "thing", but I personally don't like the idea of having my movements tracked, even if it means I save a few quid at Starbucks.  Again, like point 6, you don't know who else has access to the information and who knows if the terms of service might change at some point in the future?

9.  Check your settings
All of the current social networking sites come with some form of privacy or security settings.  Now these might seem confusing and a bit pointless, but it's worth taking some time to go through and understand them to ensure you're protecting yourself to the best of your abilities.  If you need help then see if there's an FAQ, speak to someone who understands how they work or simply stay off the site.  Either way, make sure you have the settings at the level you feel comfortable with and that protects your data.

10.  Never post anything sensitive
The last point is almost the same as point 2, but here we're emphasising the need to avoid posting potentially sensitive personal or business information which could cause you or your company/employer harm.  This could be something as innocuous as a tweet saying "Off to meet XYZ corp now, back in an hour".  There is the potential that this could be privileged information and might allow your competitors to see who you're dealing with or who your clients are.  It could provide them with a competitive advantage or it could land you in trouble with your bosses, regulators or courts, depending on the issue at hand.


Now all of this might seem a little to paranoid for some of you, but as "they" are out to "get you" surely it's not paranoia!?

Mobile & Social Networking Apps

The subject of 3rd party "Apps" has raised its head again - this time on Google Android smart phones.

Apps on smart phones and on social networking sites are becoming ever more popular, but are the intentions of the App developers always in the best interests of the users?

A recent study of the apps on Android mobile phones has shown that the data they access and how they use it does not always tally with what the user authorises when they install the app.

This becomes even more of an issue where apps are downloaded or installed from other, shall we say less reputable sources.

There has also been occurrences of apps being developed reusing code segments created by other developers. This could lead to all kinds of unauthorised or malicious use of personal data which even the app creator doesn't know about.

So here are some simple rules to follow to enhance your security and protect your data:

• Don't use apps unless you really need to
• Only install apps from reputable sources
• Only install apps that are essential for you
• Remove apps you no-longer use
• Always read what data will be collected by an app
• If in doubt don't install it
• Don't provide an app with access to sensitive information or don't place sensitive information in a location an app has access to

Location Based Services & Security

It seems that more and more location based services are surfacing, jumping on the Social Media bandwagon.

Now, I'm not an old fuddy-duddy, and I can see how some of these services might be of use to businesses and potentially to individuals. I do however, have massive concerns over the privacy and security of these services.

Firstly, there is the physical security aspects. The information about where you are could be used to target you personally for malicious intent. This could range from mugging you as you leave a venue to burgling your home while you're out.

Then there are the issues of who has access to this information. There are various rules and laws which apply to data protection but under what jurisdiction are you accounts being managed? Who both from a staffing point of view and a company point of view has access to the information? Are your locations, movements and habits being observed, monitored and assessed for other reasons - some of these may be purely for targeted marketing but others could be for more insidious purposes?

I have been critical in the past of individuals who post on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites with too much detail about where they are and what they are doing. Now we have services specifically designed to post and collect this information.

The simple fact of the matter is that people will leave themselves open because there are multiple, complicated options on the security settings page - will every user truly understand them all? And how do you know all of your "friends" are the only ones viewing your information? It could be that their accounts have been compromised or that you have mistakenly added a "friend" who isn't who you think it is.

My philosophy is this - whatever you share on the internet, even just to "friends" you should consider it public domain. Don't tell anyone anything, say you are or have been anywhere, or opine about something you wouldn't want your mother, your boss or the rest of the world to know! That way, you can protect yourself, your identity and your information.