Threat 2.0: Security and compliance for Web 2.0 sites

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that Web 2.0 technologies bring

many advantages, not least the collaborative power

of engaging with so many Web users extremely

quickly. Tapscott and Williams, in their book,

Wikinomics

67

, describe the creation of a Wikipedia

account of the London bombings which occurred

in 2005:

By the end of the day, over twenty-five

hundred users had created a

comprehensive fourteen-page account of

the event that was much more detailed

than the information provided by any

single news outlet.

The first edit was posted to Wikipedia 28 minutes

after the first bomb exploded. The volume of

contributors and immediacy of responses can be

viewed on Wikipedia’s history page. The up-to-

the-minute, eyewitness Wikipedia account of the

London bombings, complete with on-the-spot

photographs, is a testament to the power and

enormous value that Web 2.0 technologies can

provide.

However, the other side of the coin is that the free,

uninhibited and undisciplined use of Web 2.0

technologies can pose serious risks. In addition to

the risks of reputation damage and breaches of

confidentiality, risks associated with Web 2.0

technologies also include hacking attacks and legal

non-compliance.

67

Wikinomics, Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams,

Atlantic Books (2006).

68

6: Conclusion

Many hacking attacks can be prevented simply by

ensuring well written code and incorporating

security considerations as part of the Web software

development cycle.

Website administrators and their employers will

also need to gain sufficient understanding of the

relevant copyright, privacy and data protection

regulation to ensure legal compliance and to put

themselves into a position to take appropriate,

speedy action to deal with transgressions by users.

69