oppertunities and challenges of the internet

A detailed Summary of oppertunities and challenges of the internet

Opportunities and Challenges of the Internet

In a world of light-speed data transmission, any individual with little training and expertise can make a fortune from the Internet. Many companies, like E-bay or Amazon.com, thrive from business done only through Internet transactions. As computer technology progresses, data transmission becomes faster, and as high level encryption becomes available for public use, the amount of Internet consumers also grows. Technology advances also allow employees to work from home faster and safer.

A manager's first challenge is to create a presence on the web. With a phone line, computer, and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) authoring tools, a business can advertise or do business over the Internet. HTML authoring tools can be freeware, like Sausage Software's Hot Dog, or advanced and expensive utilities like Microsoft Front Page. Any computer user familiar with a word processor can effectively use these applications with minimal training. Putting the HTML and graphic files on an Internet service provider's (ISP) servers is sufficient for relatively low traffic sites. Some online businesses, like Amazon.com, handle hundreds of thousands of people, or hits, everyday. They require s

Security concerns are most pressing when managers have telecommuting employees. Any family member could pick up information vital to the company's interests whether by accident or on purpose. A manager should define security procedures and password restrictions. Names and birthdays should be strictly off limits. Passwords should be alpha-numeric. Stings with both letters and numbers are almost impossible for software to crack and often too complicated to crackers to guess at. Family members are especially susceptible to emotional engineering and must be warned any information learned can never be passed on to anyone.

A new networking technology, called Domain and Type Enforcement (DTE), allow managers and system administrators to give files specific levels of security according to the file's sensitivity. Other networking products like, Novell Netware, has offered similar features but DTE introduces standards for file protection and simplifies the process of protecting files. DTE protection doesn't prevent hackers from gaining illegal access to servers but it does drastically reduce the scale on which they can do damage by restricting the amount of files they have access to.

Mueller, Scott. Upgrading and Repairing PCs Eighth Edition. Indiana, 1997.

Even the best firewall, password, and encryption technology is useless if your employees are susceptible to "emotional engineering." Most employees will give up information if asked in the right way. Even if a manager's employees don't know administrator or supervisor passwords, they can give away seemingly unimportant bits of information that are actually vital tidbits to hackers. An employee's greyware is your most important asset. Social Security numbers should not be counted as a valid form of identification. They are only slightly harder to find than phone numbers.

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Category: Technology