Overview of security risks and Internet transactions

The Internet provides the opportunity for anyone, with an internet connection and a web browser, to access a web site. As an operator of a website, it can be a tremendous benefit for almost anyone in the world to access your website at any time. This can lead to increased business because it opens up your website, and company, to a global marketplace. This can also save time by allowing individuals to download important information, such as product manuals, or accessing frequently asked questions. With the benefit of having the ability for anyone to access your website, comes the downside of having your website accessible by anyone. Most users of a website are satisfied browsing a website as intended, others will try to take a closer look to try and find information they are not supposed to, and others will try and force their way into your website. This can result in mild web page vandalism, stolen data, or simply total server takeover. The ability for anyone in the world to access a website comes with a price.

Users simply browsing the web are not always safe. Since a web browser makes a connection to a remote computer over the internet, and the requests and responses are in plain text, these requests and responses can potentially be altered by anyone in the communication path. In addition, there are countless exploits that open up your computer to attackers. Your web browser can potentially divulge your private information, allow harm to your computer, or display inaccurate or false information.