PHP and MySQL Web Development 4th Ed-tqw-_darksiderg

18
Implementing Secure Transactions
with PHP and MySQL
IN THIS CHAPTER, WE EXPLAIN HOW TO DEAL with user data securely from input,
through transmission, and in storage.This way, you can implement a transaction between
your site and a user securely from end to end.
Key topics covered in this chapter include
n Providing secure transactions
n Using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
n Providing secure storage
n Determining whether to store credit card numbers
n Using encryption in PHP
Providing Secure Transactions
Providing secure transactions using the Internet is a matter of examining the flow of
information in your system and ensuring that, at each point, your information is secure.
In the context of network security, there are no absolutes. No system is ever going to be
impenetrable. By secure, we mean that the level of effort required to compromise a system
or transmission is high compared to the value of the information involved.
If you are to direct your security efforts effectively, you need to examine the flow of
information through all parts of your system.The flow of user information in a typical
application, written using PHP and MySQL, is shown in Figure 18.1.