Creating a Website: Security & Server Setup

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the creation of a website, focusing on server setup and security measures to protect against hacking. Participants explore the need for server space, the implications of security practices, and potential vulnerabilities in web interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Bharath Duraiswamy questions whether a server is necessary for storing information generated by website interactions and how to define the website's security level against hacking.
  • One participant suggests that using hosting services can eliminate the need for a personal server and recommends searching for "free web hosting."
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of using a strong password to protect server access.
  • Bharath expresses skepticism about the sufficiency of strong passwords for security, referencing the hacking of HB Gary's servers and questioning if password strength alone was the issue.
  • A participant responds that the HB Gary hack involved multiple factors, including poor software and social engineering, and suggests that using well-written software and being cautious can mitigate risks.
  • Bharath raises a concern about the security of data being transmitted between two websites, asking if a third party could intercept and alter requests sent from one site to another.
  • A later reply confirms that such a risk exists and describes it as a classic man-in-the-middle attack.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the sufficiency of strong passwords for security and the complexities of web security, indicating that multiple competing views remain on the topic.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about security practices and the effectiveness of various measures, but these are not universally agreed upon. Specific technical details regarding server security and web interactions are not fully resolved.

bhaazee
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Hallo Friends,
I am actually a mechanical Engineer and have least knowledge on Computer Science.

My doubt is, say I wish to create a website for my local town to interact with people of that town for discussing various issues. Do I need a server to store the information that are being generated due to interactive activities.

How can I define the security level of the website with regard to hacking?

Regards
Bharath Duraiswamy.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
You don't need your own server, there are hosting services (both free and paid) that will rent server space for you.

This question is not asked for the first time - see https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=292464 for example. There were more threads, I just can't find them now.

Try to google for "free web hosting" you will get more information than you need.
 
bhaazee said:
How can I define the security level of the website with regard to hacking?

Use a strong password to protect root access to your server or rented server space.
 
Thank you Guys for ur replies.

However, I can't understand with reply from "fss"

We are living in the world of anonymous. HB Gary is carrying out security Services for US Army and their root servers got hacked. Also his twitter account. Do you think just because the password for the root servers was not strong enough it got hacked?
 
bhaazee said:
However, I can't understand with reply from "fss"

We are living in the world of anonymous. HB Gary is carrying out security Services for US Army and their root servers got hacked. Also his twitter account. Do you think just because the password for the root servers was not strong enough it got hacked?

HBGary was hacked due to a combination of using poorly-written, third-party software and social engineering. Assuming you are using widely available, well-written software on your server, have a strong password, and are wary of social engineering attempts to gain unauthorized access, you will not have any problems you could prevent otherwise.
 
Oh! Thank you fss.
 
BTW! I have one more doubt regarding the security issue.
Consider that there are two websites A and B.
Now in order to get some activity of 'B' processed, a request from 'A' has to be sent.

Now assume a request is being sent from 'A' to 'B'. Is there a possibility that I as a third party can look into the contents of "request" and redefine the contents such that the request gets changed from the intended one?

Thnx.
 
bhaazee said:
BTW! I have one more doubt regarding the security issue.
Consider that there are two websites A and B.
Now in order to get some activity of 'B' processed, a request from 'A' has to be sent.

Now assume a request is being sent from 'A' to 'B'. Is there a possibility that I as a third party can look into the contents of "request" and redefine the contents such that the request gets changed from the intended one?

Yes, but that possibility exists if you have more than one intermediate device between points A and B anyways. What you are describing is a classic man-in-the-middle attack.
 
THnax once again.
 

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