<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<title></title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
MJ Ray,<br>
<br>
Security is only ask good as the best backup. That is a backup off
machine and preferably off-site.All systems can be compromised in one
way or another. Worry more about whether your dbase is backed and
less about hackers. Those libraries who retain vendors (at often
extortionary prices) do not worry about such things , since the vendor
does it all, (including owning their database). The price for freedom
from extortionary vendor tactics is the responsibility of securing
one's records, it is not a resource intensive process..<br>
<br>
Gerry :)<br>
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Gerry
Arthus<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Systems
Administrator:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Long
Island Library Resources Council<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">SUNY at
Stony Brook<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Stony
Brook, New York<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">US<span style="">
</span>11794-3399<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Phone:
1-631-632-6652<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">FAX:
631-632-6662<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Home:
631-289-7565<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Email:
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:garthus@lilrc.org">garthus@lilrc.org</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Professor:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Departments
of: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Graduate
Computer Engineering, Earth and Environmental Science, and Engineering
Management<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">C.W.
Post Campus of Long Island University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">720
Northern Boulevard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Brookville,
New York <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">US
11548-1300<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Phone:
516-299-2293<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote cite="midb1dc3115b8dfe23705daf16beb750100@bouncing.localnet"
type="cite">On 2004-11-06 00:39:58 +0000 Baljkas Family
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:baljkas@mts.net"><baljkas@mts.net></a> wrote:
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">I don't think this question has been raised
before -- and I apologise in advance if it has been, or if asking it
this way is simply hopelessly naive/ignorant: but how safe against
hacking, e.g. would Koha be? Or is this more a matter of systems admin
level securities behind which Koha would be shielded? (G*d, I hope so.)
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I went through the code fixing some structural security errors during
the 1.9 development versions. I've not tried testing koha heavily,
simply through lack of time.
<br>
<br>
In 2.0, there are some known bugs to do with the librarian access
levels: having the circulation desk get full librarian access is
undesirable. I hope this has been fixed during 2.1 and will be
available to users in 2.2, but I've not checked. Maybe more 2.1-centred
developers can tell?
<br>
<br>
I think you also want to consider the security of all machines which
use the koha librarian interface. It's mostly hopeless having wonderful
security on the server if someone can put a password sniffer on a
superlibrarian's computer. This may even be a larger vulnerability than
almost all likely server problems.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">[...] the PTBs in their corporate or
organisational culture were concerned, it was against the rules because
there would be no one to sue if something went wrong?
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I believe this is largely a distraction tactic. At best, you will end
up effectively suing your supplier's insurance company. Few of the
people who raise this question have ever suggested trying to sue
Microsoft after a virus shuts down their office computers or overflows
their email.
<br>
<br>
Some organisations like free software because it reduces absolute
dependence on one outside supplier, even if it will take more time/cost
more to develop in-house or find an alternative supplier. It gives more
options and keeping options open is usually good for business.
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
</body>
</html>