At 08:18 28/01/97 -0800, you wrote:
>If someone had enough incentive and knowledge, our server could be readily
>pilfered.
(...)
>However, our museum is hardly a favoured hacker's target, and if we ever do
>have trouble, we'll be able to justify the expense to make the network
>really safe.
>
>Jim

I agree: it's not given to the first come to attack and destroy/steal
museum data on a web site.  But there is a possibility and that's
enough.

As for museum not being a favoured target,  I do not agree.

Every museum is a favoured target.

Aren't city walls a favoured targets of vandals ?  (in that sense, that's what a
hacker is if he/she intend no so much to steal as to destroy).

Aren't subways (from vehicules to buildings) a favoured target ?

And there is a lot of example of web sites which had been targeted
by hackers during the last weeks: religious sites, internet providers...

ANY site is a target...

To say "if we ever do have trouble, we'll be able to justify the expense..." is
equivalent to say, "if we ever do have someone stealing or destroying
something in the collection, we'll be able to justify the expense for museum
security".  You don't correct such a situation.  You prevent it .

My opinion is:

IF your museum intend to have a permanent presence
on the web (i.e. your own site, not just rented space on a server where
security should be a responsability of the Internet provider) and there
is a PHYSICAL connection to your LAN or WAN, you should inforce
regular museum security policies (i.e. ICOM standards) and
implement special measures proposed by organisations like
the National Computer Security Associaition.

The Canadian Heritage Information Network may also have
informations and opinions on the subject.  Could someone from
CHIN participate in the discussion ?

Jean-Paul Viaud
curator



   p_n__n__----- _______          Musée Ferroviaire Canadi<n Railway Museum
 d ___--__| HH||       `---               120, St-Pierre, Saint-Constant (QC)
  _T-------'___-|___________    J5A 2G9 Canada
'o=o ()()()--'  o=o`---'o=o             Tel. (514) 638-1522 / Fax.(514)
638-1563
          - CP 999 -                            jpviaud@odyssee