I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system
using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web
scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important
document
information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel
documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other important
documents
imagined in the database.
The data will be entered either manually and/or scanned(with OCR). I
need to
be able to search on all the fields in the database.
We have 10 computers(5bros , 4sisters, and myself) plus 1 server with I
maintained. The data should be synchronize/replicate between those
computers.
Well, so far it is easy, isn't it?
Here's my question:
a) How can I make sure that it secure so only authorized person can
modify/add/delete the information? Beside transaction logs, are there
any
other method to trace any transaction(kin d of paper trail)?
Assuming there are 3 step process to one enter the info e.g:
- One who enter the info (me)
- One who verify the info(the owner of info)
- One who verify and then commit the change!
How can I implement such a process in RDBMS and/or PHP or any other web
language?
b) How can I make sure that no one can tap the info while we are
entering
the data in the computer? (our family are scattered within US and
Canada)
c) Is it possible to securely synchronize/replicate between our
computers
using VPN? Does RDBMS has this functionality by default?
d) Other secure method that I have not yet mentioned.
Anyone has good ideas on how to implement such a systems?
Thanks 4 1450
Sarah Tanembaum wrote: I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important document information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other important documents imagined in the database.
The data will be entered either manually and/or scanned(with OCR). I need to be able to search on all the fields in the database.
We have 10 computers(5bros , 4sisters, and myself) plus 1 server with I maintained. The data should be synchronize/replicate between those computers.
Well, so far it is easy, isn't it?
Here's my question:
a) How can I make sure that it secure so only authorized person can modify/add/delete the information? Beside transaction logs, are there any other method to trace any transaction(kin d of paper trail)?
Assuming there are 3 step process to one enter the info e.g: - One who enter the info (me) - One who verify the info(the owner of info) - One who verify and then commit the change! How can I implement such a process in RDBMS and/or PHP or any other web language?
b) How can I make sure that no one can tap the info while we are entering the data in the computer? (our family are scattered within US and Canada)
c) Is it possible to securely synchronize/replicate between our computers using VPN? Does RDBMS has this functionality by default?
d) Other secure method that I have not yet mentioned.
Anyone has good ideas on how to implement such a systems?
Thanks
Some suggestions:
1. Use 2-factor authentication. So if a password gets stolen, it isn't
enough by itself to access data.
2. Use 128-bit encryption for storage using secure algorithm (blowfish,
twofish or AES.
3. Use 128-bit encryption for communication.
4. Use secure key exchange protocols.
5. Use secure key generation algorithm.
6. Use digital signatures and public-key encryption where appropriate.
Client should authenticate server and server should authenticate
client to eliminate man-in-the-middle attacks.
7. Take a look at Groove.net products to see how they designed their
secure p2p shared-workspace applications.
8. Use firewalls to restrict access to communication ports based on IP
addresses or range of addresses or ip countries. Why allow access from
Chinese or Russian IP addresses if all your family members are in USA? ;)
IMHO, the openssl interface in Ruby 1.8.1-snapshot makes this fairly
easy to do compared to other scripting languages.
Sarah Tanembaum wrote: I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important document information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other important documents imagined in the database.
The data will be entered either manually and/or scanned(with OCR). I need to be able to search on all the fields in the database.
We have 10 computers(5bros , 4sisters, and myself) plus 1 server with I maintained. The data should be synchronize/replicate between those computers.
Well, so far it is easy, isn't it?
Here's my question:
a) How can I make sure that it secure so only authorized person can modify/add/delete the information? Beside transaction logs, are there any other method to trace any transaction(kin d of paper trail)?
Assuming there are 3 step process to one enter the info e.g: - One who enter the info (me) - One who verify the info(the owner of info) - One who verify and then commit the change! How can I implement such a process in RDBMS and/or PHP or any other web language?
b) How can I make sure that no one can tap the info while we are entering the data in the computer? (our family are scattered within US and Canada)
c) Is it possible to securely synchronize/replicate between our computers using VPN? Does RDBMS has this functionality by default?
d) Other secure method that I have not yet mentioned.
Anyone has good ideas on how to implement such a systems?
Thanks
One more thing...ssh tunneling is your best friend. If the
communication protocols available in your RDBMS server or client aren't
sufficiently secure, simply using SSH tunneling.
>I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
It depends on how you define 'secure' and what your security policy
is. For example, MySQL allows database connections to be encrypted
with SSL. I suspect that some of the others do also. Also, most
web servers can be set up in a configuration that supports https.
And pretty much every web browser supports https.
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important document information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other important documents imagined in the database.
Why is this not several SEPARATE databases?
The data will be entered either manually and/or scanned(with OCR). I need to be able to search on all the fields in the database.
Do you actually have a program that does decent OCR of handwriting,
starting from images? It would be useful to be able to take a bunch
of scanned cancelled checks and search for, say, "Auto insurance"
(a comment I'd probably write on the memo line of the check).
It is very difficult to get anything useful out of searching images
stored as binary blobs in a database table.
We have 10 computers(5bros , 4sisters, and myself) plus 1 server with I maintained. The data should be synchronize/replicate between those computers.
MySQL allows replication between different servers, again with SSL
for the replication connection. Generally, though, changes need to
be entered at the master.
Well, so far it is easy, isn't it?
Here's my question:
a) How can I make sure that it secure so only authorized person can modify/add/delete the information? Beside transaction logs, are there any other method to trace any transaction(kin d of paper trail)?
Who's an authorized person?
At what granularity do you need the access controls? For example,
MySQL has access controls on individual table columns, so a specific
person (database login) may be allowed read-write, read, or no
access to the 'SSN' column. However, I do not believe it has any
kind of access restrictions that would allow one to read and alter
the SSN in THEIR OWN RECORD ONLY. If you put each person's data
in different tables, or different databases, that would make access
control better, but it makes it harder to search for things like
"whose wills are kept by <name of attorney>"?
It is possible for PHP to access the data using its own database
login (for which it will likely have near-full privileges), and let
the PHP code enforce restrictions like "a user may see only his own
SSN". PHP would have its own set of web users (with their own
passwords, privileges, etc. enforced by PHP but with the info kept
in the database). This does mean, however, that anyone with PHP's
database login gets to see all the data. It also means that the
PHP code that enforces the security rules could leak information
if the security policy is not implemented correctly. And implementing
all that PHP code CORRECTLY takes work.
A suggestion for your PHP web pages: log the time, date, IP address
the request came from, user name (or other form identifying the
requester), whether the password was correct (log the bad attempts
too!), what they accessed, and what they changed, and what the old
values of the changed fields were.
MySQL has query logs (however, if there is one database user, PHP,
for all the web page users, it will not log which query was made
on behalf of who). Your PHP application can log what screens who
viewed and what changes were entered. This takes WORK. PHP will
not do all that logging itself automatically.
Assuming there are 3 step process to one enter the info e.g: - One who enter the info (me)
Now, right here, you've got a security problem. You see all the data.
And you shouldn't.
- One who verify the info(the owner of info) - One who verify and then commit the change!
For a multi-step process like this you need some place in the database
to store pending changes. What is your access policy for THOSE?
Can I, who entered the data, see the data I entered while it is waiting
for the owner of the data to approve it?
How can I implement such a process in RDBMS and/or PHP or any other web language?
b) How can I make sure that no one can tap the info while we are entering the data in the computer? (our family are scattered within US and Canada)
Use SSL web pages (https). SSL between the web server and the
database matters less if the web server and the database are on the
same machine or on a local LAN, and direct access to the database
is not allowed except on the same machine or within the local LAN.
But SSL between the web server and various users' browsers all over
the continent is a must. Even if you use a VPN, browsers tend to
take better care of SSL data (like not leaving it around in a cache).
c) Is it possible to securely synchronize/replicate between our computers using VPN? Does RDBMS has this functionality by default?
VPN is typically not a feature of a RDBMS (neither is "wireless
802.11g", or DSL, or IP over Avian Carriers - a RDBMS typically
runs over IP, and a VPN uses some means to transport IP securely).
A RDBMS that can replicate over the net should be able to transparently
replicate over a VPN if you set up the VPN to encrypt all traffic.
There is nothing inherently wrong with using multiple security
layers (e.g. https over IPSEC over SSH tunnel over WEP-enabled
802.11g, although this is a bit extreme) unless the overhead just
gets to be unacceptable.
MySQL supports replication over a SSL database connection, by itself
without needing to install a VPN. (Having both is not an unreasonable
choice, though).
Is there a need for users of this database to access data on the
road, away from their VPNs? For example, several family members
are on a trip, there's an accident, and one of them urgently needs
medical history information for one of the others.
d) Other secure method that I have not yet mentioned.
Another thing to think of is encrypting data *IN* the database, and
if you do that, how you manage keys. Presumably some of this info
is being kept to ensure that it is available if the owner of the
data dies, which may make this option less desirable.
Anyone has good ideas on how to implement such a systems?
First, you need to decide on your security policy (especially the part about
legitimate users snooping on other legitimate users data). You also need to
decide what functions are needed. A RDBMS can generally "search on anything"
but a web page, unless it lets you enter an arbitrary SQL query, usually doesn't.
Gordon L. Burditt
Sarah Tanembaum wrote: I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important document information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other important documents imagined in the database.
they are actually going to allow you to do this?? I certainly
wouldn't... because if you didn't do it right, all of you would be
subject to identity theft.
<snippage>
Michael Austin. This thread has been closed and replies have been disabled. Please start a new discussion. Similar topics |
by: ojorus |
last post by:
Hello!
I want to make a login system as secure as possible on a website I develop.
* The user shall log on using a Username and a password (which is stored in
a mySQL database)
*The server which I use to run my application has "register_globals"
activated (set to "on"), so that has to be taken into concideration
*The system should be secure even if the user do not click "log out" when he
is finished. (Users often just close the browser...
|
by: Sarah Tanembaum |
last post by:
I was wondering if it is possible to create a secure database system
using RDBMS(MySQL, Oracle, SQL*Server, PostgreSQL etc) and web
scripting/programming language(Perl, PHP, Ruby, Java, ASP, etc) combination?
I have the following in mind:
I wanted to store all my( and my brothers and sisters) important
document
information such as birth certificate, SSN, passport number, travel
documents, insurance(car, home, etc) document, and other...
|
by: Norm |
last post by:
Hi All,
I have an MDB file which I want to remain secure. It checks for certain
parameters upon startup, and will automatically exit if the program is
opened/executed by an unauthorized user.
My concern is that somebody could read the MDB file using a utility such as
MDB Tools (http://mdbtools.sourceforge.net/) and then export the data from
my file. I have not used this tool, so is that actually possible using
this or some other...
|
by: DraguVaso |
last post by:
Hi,
I need a SECURE way to copy parts of a file. I'm having files which contains
a whole bunch of records. In one 'fysical' file I'm having one or more
logical files.
What I need to do is to copy a logical file (a part of the fysical file)
into a new file. But the 'big' problem is: these records contains
bankstatements, so I can't take the risk that there would be a record
missing, or even one little charachter. The copy I make has to...
|
by: Robert Seacord |
last post by:
The CERT/CC has just deployed a new web site dedicated to developing
secure coding standards for the C programming language, C++, and
eventually other programming language.
We have already developed significant content for the C programming
language that is available at:
https://www.securecoding.cert.org/
by clicking on the "CERT C Programming Language Secure Coding Standard"
| |
by: knal |
last post by:
Hi there,
I'm looking for a secure login script for a sort-of-community site...
(PHP, MySQL, sessions, or maybe something else ... )
I know there are a lot of scripts out there, but none of them really
seem secure, or have other kind of flaws (like IP based login etc.).
Why i'm asking here, is because there's experience out there, and i
hope experience can tell me what my best shot is. I'm aware that i will
very probably have to do...
|
by: Raqueeb Hassan |
last post by:
Hello,
Given the idea of having voter ID card for all the citizens of
Bangladesh, I was thinking of assessing few things before it actually
starts. The election commission, the government agency responsible for
issuing voter ID cards in Bangladesh might plan to use this - not only
to hold a fair election but to facilitate its citizen to establish
their credentials seeking access to all government and other
commercial privileges - from...
|
by: osid |
last post by:
Suppose you are provided with several computer systems on the market. The systems include hardware, system software, applications, operating systems, DBMS and many others. Is it possible to enhance one of the computer systems such that it can be customized to be a totally standalone system, so much so that the system only processes and outputs the required results, no other external inputs and no upgrade of the system are required. Will this...
|
by: =?Utf-8?B?Q3JhaWc=?= |
last post by:
If I have an application that I send out to users, and the application
interacts with the database (behind the scenes, no direct sql creation by the
users)....do webservices make the app more secure? I always thought of
webservices as just a good way to allow users to have an API for them to
interact with the database, but are webservices useful if the user never
really knows that they are there?
|
by: RAZZ |
last post by:
Hello, Can anyone suggest me solution?
I Need to manage different types of documents (doc,xls,ppt etc) in
server. I have folder structure to maintain these documents in server.
Say folder1 is having all doc files; folder2 is having all xls files
and so on.
Now these documents should not be able to get access through the url
|
by: marktang |
last post by:
ONU (Optical Network Unit) is one of the key components for providing high-speed Internet services. Its primary function is to act as an endpoint device located at the user's premises. However, people are often confused as to whether an ONU can Work As a Router. In this blog post, we’ll explore What is ONU, What Is Router, ONU & Router’s main usage, and What is the difference between ONU and Router. Let’s take a closer look !
Part I. Meaning of...
| |
by: Hystou |
last post by:
Most computers default to English, but sometimes we require a different language, especially when relocating. Forgot to request a specific language before your computer shipped? No problem! You can effortlessly switch the default language on Windows 10 without reinstalling. I'll walk you through it.
First, let's disable language synchronization. With a Microsoft account, language settings sync across devices. To prevent any complications,...
|
by: jinu1996 |
last post by:
In today's digital age, having a compelling online presence is paramount for businesses aiming to thrive in a competitive landscape. At the heart of this digital strategy lies an intricately woven tapestry of website design and digital marketing. It's not merely about having a website; it's about crafting an immersive digital experience that captivates audiences and drives business growth.
The Art of Business Website Design
Your website is...
|
by: Hystou |
last post by:
Overview:
Windows 11 and 10 have less user interface control over operating system update behaviour than previous versions of Windows. In Windows 11 and 10, there is no way to turn off the Windows Update option using the Control Panel or Settings app; it automatically checks for updates and installs any it finds, whether you like it or not. For most users, this new feature is actually very convenient. If you want to control the update process,...
|
by: agi2029 |
last post by:
Let's talk about the concept of autonomous AI software engineers and no-code agents. These AIs are designed to manage the entire lifecycle of a software development project—planning, coding, testing, and deployment—without human intervention. Imagine an AI that can take a project description, break it down, write the code, debug it, and then launch it, all on its own....
Now, this would greatly impact the work of software developers. The idea...
|
by: isladogs |
last post by:
The next Access Europe User Group meeting will be on Wednesday 1 May 2024 starting at 18:00 UK time (6PM UTC+1) and finishing by 19:30 (7.30PM).
In this session, we are pleased to welcome a new presenter, Adolph Dupré who will be discussing some powerful techniques for using class modules.
He will explain when you may want to use classes instead of User Defined Types (UDT). For example, to manage the data in unbound forms.
Adolph will...
|
by: adsilva |
last post by:
A Windows Forms form does not have the event Unload, like VB6. What one acts like?
| |
by: muto222 |
last post by:
How can i add a mobile payment intergratation into php mysql website.
|
by: bsmnconsultancy |
last post by:
In today's digital era, a well-designed website is crucial for businesses looking to succeed. Whether you're a small business owner or a large corporation in Toronto, having a strong online presence can significantly impact your brand's success. BSMN Consultancy, a leader in Website Development in Toronto offers valuable insights into creating effective websites that not only look great but also perform exceptionally well. In this comprehensive...
| |