NYCPHP Meetup

[Frank Wong]

Thanks to all for your input on this topic.  I guess the consensus is to 
use a dedicated server to properly secure the data.  One thing that I'm 
not clear about is specifically how does a dedicated server provide more 
security?  My first instinct is that I can write a compiled object such 
as a DLL to handle the encryption/decryption.  Then I could have the 
pass-phrase broken up into multiple pieces stored in different locations 
(maybe files outside of the web tree and databases) where only the DLL 
has the instructions to reconstruct the pass-phrase.  The pass-phrase 
would also include something that is unique to the server like the MAC 
ADDRESS so if everything is installed on another computer without 
recompiling the DLL, the encryption/decryption would fail. This would 
allow the following scenarios of security.

1) Compromised database - data is encrypted
2) Compromised file system and database - no code with decryption info 
in files and data is encrypted
3) Compromised file system (including DLL) and database - cannot read 
compiled DLL, no code with decryption info in files, and data is encrypted

Is this kind of what you have in mind while stating that dedicated 
servers can be secure enough for sensitive data?  Thanks.


_________________
Frank