Chapter 16. Security Standards

IN THIS CHAPTER

• C2 Security

• DES and RSA

• PGP and Kerberos

• Smart Cards and Tokens

• Emerging Technologies and Standards

Today, regular users of the Internet are inundated with products and services that can be purchased over the World Wide Web. The Internet also can be used in several ways for electronic commerce, such as

• Home banking. The ability to conduct personal bank transactions from the comfort of your couch. This includes making deposits and transferring funds from your personal accounts.

• Consumer purchasing via the Internet. The Internet gives today's users the capability to buy goods and services over the Internet. These services range from photo processing to purchasing automobiles.

• Electronic funds transfer. This includes the ability to purchase shares of stock with money transferred from your checking account.

Any one of these ways of electronic commerce is subject to security breaches. The junior high student who just received a computer for his birthday might find it fun to hack into your bank account. A disgruntled employee might seek revenge against your company and use your credit card number to make unauthorized purchases. The possibilities are as numerous as the reasons to commit such acts.

Today's news is filled with horror stories like the preceding scenarios. Some are true and some are designed to scare you into action. Today's Internet is like the Wild West of years ago—a big frontier with lots of potential for profit and very few regulations. Just as the Wild West had sheriffs in each town, today's Internet has many protocols designed to provide secure electronic transactions.

In addition to simply describing what standards exist that are designed to protect you and your data from Internet theft, this chapter highlights the differences between the individual standards and discusses their strengths and weaknesses.