Staying Off The Internet
Without a doubt, the safest way to avoid Internet security problems is to stay off the Internet completely—to send e-mail and other vital data either through a wide area network routed through a major telecom carrier or to rely on a commercial online service such as CompuServe, America Online, or MCI Mail.
You can also send and receive Internet mail through commercial online services. These networks are considered fairly safe because they only offer gateways to the Internet—doors that periodically open and close for e-mail only.
Another important difference between a centralized online service and an Internet access provider is that, on a centralized system such as CompuServe, you can send e-mail to another user—without ever leaving the CompuServe system. On the Internet, unless the other user is on the same system as you are, the message or data travels through a variety of machines, forcing you to rely on the security of the systems through which it passes.
Because the Internet isn’t a single network but really a network of networks, some portions of the route are safer than others. Jeffrey Shapard of University of California Berkeley says the academic networks are notoriously full of security holes, encompass open access subnetworks (once you’re connected to one machine you automatically have access to all), poorly administered systems, and, as he phrases it, “lots of eyes and ears that can tap into your bitstream without a great deal of cleverness.” But, he adds, ” commercial Internet providers such as Performance Systems International (PSI) have tight central network management, careful routing, extensive training available for customers on security mechanisms, and even enhanced services with encryption built-in.”
As we explained earlier, security considerations and administrative control are important criteria in selecting an Internet access provider. Most of the larger access providers provide continual monitoring, frequent spot checks, and explicit usage guidelines. All services should be able to help you ensure maximum security for your business, too.
Another approach is to keep your company’s computer system “off the Net” by signing up for an inexpensive dialup account. This way, your company transmits and accesses Internet data through a UNIX line-oriented interface, or “shell,”
rather than connecting to the Internet directly through a SLIP connection or a leased line. Still another approach is to limit your use of the Internet to e-mail. Because e-mail is not interactive due to its store-and-forward nature, it’s hard for “crackers” to use it to transmit viruses or worms.
The drawback to these strategies, of course, is that you greatly reduce your access to the Internet and its many tools and features.