Friday, September 28, 2012

Internet site Security Audits When Do I Need One?

By Daniel Turbin


Most people in the business will recommend a 3rd party audit on a yearly basis, and in many instances, this is more than adequate. It represents just a regular check to make certain that nothing significant has changed between this audit and the last, and will reveal any security holes that will have opened up in the intervening time interval.

It might be as simple as disclosing that the security patches aren't up to date on the varied pieces of software you use. It may exhibit that certain network settings have been changed ( infrequently accidentally , and occasionally on purpose ), that make it simpler for a would-be hacker to get inside. Or, if you're awfully lucky, it may exhibit that you are rock solid and have nothing to stress about, though this isn't the case because where internet site security in particular, and network security in general is concerned, there's often space to improve.

Naturally, there are some examples where you might like to consider more frequent audits. Chief among these is if you have been hacked. In this instance, just plugging the hole ( assuming you'll be able to find it ) and barring the door that the hackers gained entry through isn't really enough, because while they were "inside," they might have left some means of gaining entry again later on. Not only that, but in most situations, an internet security expert will help you get back up on your feet again after an information loss, so they are valuable for both their capability to help you in staying safe and for their power to help you get over the attack itself.

The second commonest reason you may wish to have more than just the standard yearly audit would be if you've had a bit of custom code written for your company, and this is reasonably common. Sadly , cookie cutter, off the shelf pieces of software are usually inadequate for a specific firm's wishes and when this occurs, most firms will go out and hire somebody to develop a custom application for them that does what they require it to do.

Sadly, what can happen in these examples is that some of the lines of code in the custom application may accidentally open up a security hole in your otherwise solid system. In such cases, having the code checked with a eye in the direction of security can help make sure that the new software does what it's meant to do, and not a lot more. This is a superb way to avoid a unpleasant surprise along the line!




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