Databases Illuminated, 4th Edition

8.12 Database Security and the Internet

Unless security software is used, all messages sent over the Internet are transmitted in plaintext and can be detected by intruders using packet sniffing software. Both senders and receivers need to be confident that their communications are kept private. Customers who wish to purchase products need to have assurance that their credit card information is secure when they send it over the Internet. Companies that allow web connections to their internal networks for access to their database need to be able to protect it from attack. Receivers of messages need to have ways to be sure that those messages are genuine and trustworthy and have not been tampered with. Senders of messages should not be able to ...