E-Commerce Security: Weak Links, Best Defenses

Online security investigator and research scientist Anup Ghosh takes a realistic look at the state of security for electronic commerce. He is neither a Pollyanna believing that all is fine, nor a doomsayer predicting catastrophe for transactions lacking virtual plate armor. In fact, he feels that some levels of security are excessive. But he emphasizes that any security system is only as strong as its weakest point. If you're going to trust your money to online transactions, you need to know where your weaknesses lie and how to correct them.

To that end, Ghosh discusses real-life security failures, how they occurred, and how recurrences can be prevented. He then takes a systematic look at the areas of risk. One chapter deals with potential problems in active Web content, such as Java applets, ActiveX controls, and push technology. He examines data protocols to secure transactions with the warning that the data can be vulnerable before and after the secure transmission. The weaknesses of server hardware and software come under scrutiny as well. Ghosh calls for greater attention to security as software is being developed and looks at what advances are likely to be coming down the road. --Elizabeth Lewis