Firewalls: Better Safe than Bankrupt

Web hosting is a tricky business, and many who set up web based businesses often consider whether or not they need a firewall

. If you are having your website hosted on an off-site server, then that server probably has a firewall. But what about you? Have you completed your domain registration and decided to host your website locally? If you have, then you need to know that there are precautions that absolutely must be taken. You do need a firewall. Even if you believe that your website is completely secure, it might not be. For those who aren't that computer savvy, it seems impossible to break into a website. For those who have dedicated their lives to learning the ins and outs of computers, every webpage is an open door and an invitation. Let's take a look at a few of the things that could become vulnerable if you fail to take the proper precautions: Customer Information: We're not just talking about names here. We're talking about credit card information, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, you name it. This information was given to you because the customer trusts you. This is information that will not be given away lightly, and as such you need to protect it. Failure to do so may not only lose you your customers, it could also lead to criminal prosecution. Store Information: This is a big one, and while it's not as big as the customer information issue, it is still something to be concerned about. To drive home the point here, we'll talk about a store that failed to hide it's information. The store in question had two versions of it's website. One version was for the customers, and one was for the employees. The two sites were perfectly identical, but the employee site had much lower prices. In essence it was like Black Friday every single day. The store in question caught a lot of flack about it when someone ran across it inadvertently, and they certainly learned their lesson about firewalls In addition to 'accidents' like the one mentioned above, there may also be instances where a person actually goes looking for the information. This is called corporate espionage, and while it can be illegal in many cases, it is still something that is done on a regular basis. It can spell the end of your company, so make sure this does not happen to you. Overall Security: One other thing that you have to fear are actual hackers. Hackers like to break in to corporate websites and change the page in any way they can. Why do they do this? Simply because they can. Of course this may also be another form of corporate espionage. It would not be surprising for a competing company to try destroying your website to turn your customers way. You might think that your customers are loyal, but you would be surprised what an unstable website will do to a customer base these days. If one site does not seem to work, they will simply move on to the next, such is the way of e-commerce. Can all this happen to you? Yes, it absolutely can. You would not be the first website that has fallen prey to these types of attacks, but remember that your chances increase as you grow in popularity. For instance, if you run a website that sells candles you probably won't have to worry about the vandalism. If you run a company that sells electronics, or a company that sells to a wide audience in general, then yes you are a huge target. That being the case, you need to put a firewall in place to ensure that you stay in business. Do not overestimate yourself or your website. Accept that you could be a target and that your site could be very vulnerable to attack. Accepting this will allow you to improve on your firewall and adjust it for each and every new threat. It's a lot of work, maintaining and setting up a firewall, and in many cases it can be expensive. But as they say, you have to spend money to make money.

Firewalls: Better Safe than Bankrupt

By: Marcus Lim

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