Security Policy
At Consupro, we take the issue of Internet security very seriously and acknowledge the fact that the security of our site and its applications is only as good as our weakest link. To protect ourselves and our members from the loss, misuse and/or alteration of the information under our control, we have instituted a number of security protocols throughout every dimension of the Consupro network. The measures we have taken include:
Overview
Password Discipline & Intrusion Detection
Intruders often enter sites by breaching passwords. Such attacks are more acts of vandalism and showmanship than actual burglaries, but the results are still disastrous. Computer programs, created or altered by hackers and capable of retrieving usernames and passwords, are freely available for download on the Internet. Users too often unwittingly facilitate such attacks by choosing default passwords or easily identifiable names and/or number combinations which are easily circumvented. Consupro consistently creates new authentication algorithms in an effort to foil attempted attacks. It is the user's responsibility, however, to maintain the confidentiality of his or her own password and to change it periodically as an added precaution. Passwords should, of course, never be disclosed to any third party. Consupro will never ask for a user's password under any circumstances.- Activity Tracking
Firewalls, dial-up pools, and system logs allow us to track any and all traffic coming in or out of our site and to stay abreast of what users are doing while inside. Our web server is purged many times daily of encrypted information, which is then moved to a secure database system off-site having absolutely no physical connection to the Internet. By keeping our security software up-to-date, our firewalls properly configured, and our processing applications unconnected to any Internet-facing network, our databases remain secure. - Secure Socket Layer and Form Encryption
As indicated in our Privacy Policy, our server utilizes Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to protect any sensitive information we may require to complete your company profile, setup your account, and/or enable server applications to accomplish your online transactions through the network. SSL or "Netscape" encryption was introduced to Internet marketing by Netscape Communications and works by encoding all information entered by a user in an online form, rendering it completely illegible to anyone who may attempt to intercept it. It is currently the industry standard and among the best software available today for securing e-commerce transactions over the Internet. (See "Introduction to Public-Key Cryptography" on the Netscape web site for more information.) - The Digital Certificate
To establish the legal relationship between a legitimate company and its web site, the Internet uses what has been termed a Digital Certificate to verify the identity of a site owner. The certificate itself is a document embedded in the binary of a SSL server which contains information about the site owner as well as the certificate's issuing authority. Each time you access a secure site, your browser checks the domain name on the server's digital certificate against the site name in the URL and issues a warning if the two do not match. Consupro owns and maintains its own digital certificate. - e-Showroom Security Levels
Buyers
- Unregistered Buyers may view limited details of products predetermined by the supplier to be open to the general (B2B) public, in order to get an impression of the products offered. Thumbnail images and general product descriptions are accessible at this level.
- Registered Buyers may access catalogs and pricing models at a level predetermined by the supplier. Detailed product descriptions, associated images and data are also available at this level. According to the Buyer company's access level, registered buyers may also have access to the purchasing module.
- Administrator has all the privileges of a registered buyer, along with the authority to manage registered buyers' profiles and all the privileges associated with them.
Vendors
- Registered Users may be granted access to entry forms in order to populate your e-Showroom and update product data as necessary. These users may also receive access to your product pages on the Internet to review information entered and to simulate Purchase Orders to test your Buyers' shopping experience.
- A Manager may access entry forms and maintenance screens to regulate and formulate business procedures for your online catalogs.
- A Director has all the access privileges of Users and Managers as well as access to more sensitive information such as pricing modules.
- An Administrator has full access to your Consupro account including privileges such as adding new users, determining user privileges, etc.
More Info
For more information on Secure Socket Layer and Internet Security, please refer to the following on-line documentation:
- Introduction to SSL (docs.sun.com)
An explanation of the SSL protocol and how it works. - Introduction to Public-Key Cryptography
(docs.sun.com)
A document introducing the basic concepts of public-key cryptography.
