Re: frame question

In a message dated 97-11-13 02:35:19 EST, Lord God of the Universe Booth
Martin writes:

> 
 Most businesses _WON'T_ use the Internet for on-line
>  
commerce, because the Internet doesn't provide the level of reliability
>  
and security that businesses expect. 
>  
>  I sense companies beginning to realize that  the security issue is more
>  emotion than fact though.  These same companies gladly take credit card
>  numbers over the telephone, in the clear, unencrypted, to minimum-wage
>  clerks and order takers.  Certainly the www is at least that secure.  www
>  is slow, but I've listened to music-on-hold, too.

Ahhh, your point is well taken -- especially with the "minimum wage clerks
and order takers" reference.  _BUT_ I disagree that the "security issue" is
more emotion than fact.  Yes, the people you mention can (and have been known
to) take off with proprietary information that they obtained at work.

The point is that the aforementioned actually work (or have worked at one
time or another) for your company.  Hopefully, your Personnel department has
properly documented them so that they can be tracked down at a later date.  A
"hacker" receiving this information through unscrupulous means _HAS_ no such
documentation, and cannot be tracked down in most cases (he/she "spoofed"
their address off of another server to make it appear that his/her message
came from there, after monitoring traffic on _your_ server so they can pop up
a quick message like "For verification purposes, what was that credit card
number/password, again please?").

In short, the "www" is about as secure as a phone call on a standard cellular
or radio phone -- only not as good.  At least in the latter instances, a
potential "lurker" has to be within range of the device...

JMHO,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"After thirty, the body has a mind of its own." -- Bette Midler
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