A Security Mindset

I was at a brand new Taco Bell this afternoon with my girlfriend when I noticed an interesting problem: the new drink dispenser had four drinks per spout, with a button that selected the drink you wanted dispensed.

I’ve obviously been in a security mindset too much recently, as when I saw it, I immediately turned to my girlfriend and asked, “What happens when you press two buttons at once?”

If you are wondering what this has to do with IT or web hosting, here’s your answer: that same question is the first one that pops into the mind of someone trying to break into your systems.  

Security Mindset

What happens when I do this?  Does it break?  If not, does it do something unintended?  If so, can I make it break because of that unexpected outcome?

These are questions that need to be considered when you are designing software for the web. If you can look at a piece of software and see a possibility for unintended results, you should try to find a way to prevent those results from occurring.

All too often, unexpected input or output can cause serious damage to your systems. This is why data validation and verification is such an important tool for programmers to use wherever possible!

Did It Break?

Did the fountain dispenser break when I pushed two buttons at once? No, it actually did not dispense anything at all. But you can be sure I tried all combinations of buttons and even pressing three or all four at a time, just to see what would happen.

Whoever designed the system considered that some moron would try to press two or more at once and did a good job at preventing it from causing damage to the system!