Technology

Internet security is a daily process

The difference between a server and a concrete bunker is that while a bunker is a relatively static building construction, new, previously unknown security holes are constantly being discovered in a server, which can provide access for unauthorised persons. It is therefore a constant battle to keep security up to date on our systems, and prevent or reject attempts to gain illegal access. We therefore:

• daily receive advices about new security updates from software manufacturers
• daily visit a number of security-oriented websites to view the latest information about developments in the cracker environment
• check for virus definition updates once an hour
• constantly log intrusion attempts and daily inspect these log files. We then decide whether an attempted attack is serious enough to warrant further action
• regularly evaluate the security of our servers
• test all software updates in a test environment that is identical to our production servers
• evaluate all system additions in the test environment before implementing them in the production environment

In addition, naturally our servers are protected by physical security measures - even the best maintained server is an open book if someone can gain local access to it, so physical security is just as important as security updates and antivirus software.

Email and security are operationally critical

For many people, the Internet is synonomous with news coverage , entertainment and information retrieval - but for the majority of users (not least businesses), email has become the most critical function. Today email is on its way to overtaking normal mail as the preferred form of written communication.

Virus scanning and SPAM filtering are therefore standard on all Golden Planet systems.