Internal vs. External hosting

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drock
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Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Boulder, CO

Internal vs. External hosting

Post by drock »

I’ve been asked to provide a place for our sales reps to view and modify sales related data. I thought I would put it on our internet site to provide the easiest accessibility for them since they travel often. But there are concerns with having sensitive data stored outside of our internal network. My question is, can a site hosted by a hosting company be as secure as a site hosted internally? And vice versa? I guess I’m looking for the pros vs. cons of each scenario.

Thank you,
David Rock
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Beowulf
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Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2002 4:32 pm

It's all the same...

Post by Beowulf »

Yea, if you store it on some provider's server it can get hacked. That's bad, but at least you'll have who to blame. Now, if your data is in your own network, but they can get to it from outside, it can get hacked too. But then there's noone to blame. Suit yourself, but bear in mind that both of these options are vulnerable, and the degree of vulnerability solely depends on the professional qualities of those who provide an interface to your sales reps.
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musashi
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Posts: 39
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 12:51 pm
Location: Santa Cruz - CA

Pro vs. Con

Post by musashi »

Consider all the mirad of shopping sites out there. Many take VERY sensitive data (credit card numbers, SSN, addresses, etc.). There never is an absolutely secure location. Believe me, hackers have been accessing systems long before there was an Internet. So bottom line is this:

External Exposure:
Con:
Greater concern for security, hence more time/money on soft. dev.
Pro:
Access to extremely valuable data is possible. This could make or break sale points.

Internal Only:
Pro:
Data is more secure (though not that much).
Con:
No external access is directly available. Only gifted hackers can reach it.

Honestly, if done right (using SSL, some internal encryption (mcrypt), and a good DB) you should be fine. In my eyes the benefits far far outweigh the dangers.
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