Anne Fuhrman Douglas wrote:

<Is it better to have your in-house system linked directly to the Web (less
duplication of effort) or is it preferable to have separate, duplicate
records on-line (better security for confidential information)?>

There are very real risks in linking an internal network directly to the
internet. Bad guys are out there who are looking to hack into systems and
cause all kinds of mischief.  They probably would jump at the chance to get
into your network if you made it easy for them.  You should consider either
placing a duplicate set of data (cleared of all confidential and sensitive
information) on a separate web computer server or using a "firewall," which
basically is a specially configured server that stands between your internal
network and the internet.  Firewalls (and other security techniques) are
useful because they permit network users to use the internet while keeping
the bad guys at bay.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Bill LeFurgy      | Culture in Cyberspace
[log in to unmask] Helping Museums on the Internet
                  | http://www.radix.net/~wlefurgy/welcome.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------